


Last of the Real Ones

by greenblanketbythefire



Series: Falling Is Meaningless If It’s Not For You [4]
Category: Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxious Reader, Autistic Reader, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Getting to Know Each Other, I have no self control, Protective Noctis Lucis Caelum, Protective Siblings, Reader is more talkative when Noctis is around, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, The Lord of the Rings References, Worried Noctis Lucis Caelum, absolutely none, super self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2020-07-11 20:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19934239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenblanketbythefire/pseuds/greenblanketbythefire
Summary: Vayne Solidor finds himself at the mercy of the gods on a world for which he cares not. However... There are very interesting people from other worlds there, as well. Perhaps this could be a learning experience.A spinoff from my work Brick By Boring Brick - I highly recommend reading that before or after you read this :D





	1. For What Do You Fight?

**Author's Note:**

> Yes the title is a Fall Out Boy song fight me  
> Also  
> Most of the Vayne/Reader stories are mine and idk how to feel about that

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the other one! Both the Noct and Vayne POVs are up! Yay!!!

How utterly disgusting it was. How vile and cruel and _predictable._

Summoned here by a god of all things, forcing him to fight. Forcing him to do battle for there was no other way home than to save this world, not his own, from its destruction. Why not tear the place apart until nothing was left? After all, it was a barren wasteland, nothing but rock and dust. There was _nothing_ there, nothing at all. And he _loathed_ it.

Every step he took, Vayne’s blood boiled just a little more. Spiritus had told them to go out and produce the energy needed to bring his world from the brink of the Void. The only problem was that most of the “warriors” the god had summoned seemed to _like_ the idea of the world going to the proverbial dogs. Dogs of death. Hellhounds. Vayne didn’t really mind, either, or rather, he wouldn’t have if he had a way back to Ivalice.

So there he stood, in the middle of a darkened room with a glowing red crystal ready to absorb the energy from a battle he’d initiate with any poor sod lucky to come through the gateway. He sighed with many emotions at once, all of them negative. At the very least, Spiritus could’ve made this so-called “quest” worth his time. But no. He was stuck helping someone of no importance to himself achieve a goal that was utterly _pointless._

It sickened him greatly, having to obey the whims of a god to get what he wanted. So, he’d simply have to make the best of the situation and learn from the others here just what they thought of the situation. He even had the perfect opening line, as usual.

A portal opened. _Finally._

“Please don’t tell me this happened _again.”_

Again?

“If this is another world I’m getting dropped into, there will be a _riot.”_

He heard the faint sound of electricity crackling as the woman who spoke’s anger rose. Finally, someone who shared his frustrations.

“Calm down,” came a sympathetic male voice. Had they even noticed Vayne? “We’ll get home eventually.”

“Eventually being the key word, Noct.”

“Do the goddess’ blind faithful come to do her bidding?” Vayne asked, drawing the four warriors’ attentions. He turned his head to get a look at them. The two white haired men didn’t look fazed by his sudden appearance or the implication of what he wanted. However, the male in black and his female companion were hardly dressed for battle. Both of them were clothed rather simply for such a setting, no armor whatsoever. Poor things must have gotten taken at a most inopportune moment.

“Not her faithful,” Noct said. “Here because we gotta be.”

He seemed reasonable enough. The woman, though, did not look satisfied with his answer.

“Actually I am an outlier,” she muttered, mostly to herself, “and should not have been counted.”

How interesting. What would cause her to come to such a conclusion?

Noct laughed.

“I don’t think you realize how accurate that is about you,” he said to his friend. Vayne kept an eye on her for a moment, gauging her reaction to him. She actually looked a tad exhausted. Perhaps this realm was too much for her.

“Ah,” Vayne continued. “All that was left you was to submit.”

His words did not have the effect he expected. The woman’s eyes widened with an unreadable emotion, but she did not seem any more angry. If anything, she was put off by him.

_Tch. Weaker than I expected, to be thrown off so easily._

“Not that we wanted to,” Noct said, very resigned. The woman nodded in agreement.

“Big mood,” she said. Vayne decided to complete his spin. As soon as he was facing them properly, he saw her eyes widen even further. Was he that intimidating? No, she didn’t look _scared,_ per se…

_My, my. To be so immediately affected…_

“It is for the best, to be sure,” Vayne went on. “Though dullards they may appear, from desolate earth they have conjured worlds one would think beyond their ken.”

That statement did have its truth to it. While the gods may have extremely questionable intelligence and methods, denying they had the ability to create a world from whatever it had been before would be difficult. That being said, he couldn’t say anything else to compliment them. Their lack of imagination bothered him enough along with everything else…

Vayne still continued, letting sarcasm paint his words so thoroughly it sounded as though he was serious.

“There is no reasoning here,” he said. “We must only listen and obey.”

The effect worked. The woman crossed her arms, now quite frustrated with whatever circumstances she was in.

“No, _thanks,”_ she countered defiantly. “I’d rather keep my mind, thanks.”

Whatever she had been through so far must have taken quite a toll on her. Noct gave her a grounding nudge. She gave him a glare in return.

_There is history here. History I would be very interested in hearing, if she has gone through this before._

The warrior at the front drew his weapon. Noct and his friend instantly sobered at the sight. She in particular stepped back in fear.

“Then I take it,” the Warrior of Light asked, “you are prepared to do what you must?”

Noct and Friend took on an air of concern. They exchanged a glance, like they couldn’t believe this was happening so quickly.

“That gravitas is why _you’re_ our leader,” the Second Warrior said confidently. The woman furrowed her eyebrows. Perhaps this hadn’t been a unanimous decision.

Vayne raised his right and extended it out as a greeting, effectively throwing the gauntlet. Noct placed his hands on his hips.

“Are you guys…” he said, “actually enjoying this?”

“Yeah…” the woman said in a whisper.

_Oh please. Fiery one moment but at the sight of conflict, you back away? How pathetic._

“Of course,” Vayne answered. “Let us pawns must fight for our freedom.”

“Again…” she muttered. “Outlier and should not be counted.”

_Not providing an explanation as to why you are such will not help you._

“Just stay in the shadows,” Noct told her. “We’ll be done soon.”

Strange. Perhaps she wasn’t a fighter after all? How contradictory.

“Fiiine,” she stretched, her worry in the guise of a complaint and threat. “If you guys get killed, I’ll kill you again. Especially you, Noctis.”

Noctis. So that was his name. But what was hers? There was only one way to lure it out. This mysterious woman intrigued him and infuriated him all at once. To claim frustration but not fight for a way to fix it? How weak she must be. At least she knew her place in the grand scheme of things. Letting the powerful take control, as it should be… Maybe she wan’t completely incompetent.

“I’m afraid being an outlier is no exception,” Vayne declared. He called three manikins to his side. He wouldn’t go straight for her, not yet. Let her deal with her own anger herself.

Noctis’ eyes narrowed. His friend’s arms fell to her sides in blatant alarm.

“Is that _me?!”_ she exclaimed. Noctis summoned a sword from thin air.

“If that’s how you’re gonna be,” he warned. “Leave my sister out of this!”

Sister? They didn’t look much alike. In fact, all they seemed to have in common was a short fuse. Something wasn’t right, there.

“It’s an even match, Noct.” At least she could see reason. “Although I _swear_ I wouldn't have interfered!”

Vayne believed her. However, he was still on his quest to learn more about the warriors Materia had chosen and their manner of thinking. Drawing these two “siblings” away from each other would be a good start to that.

The battle began with a bang. The Warrior of Light and Vayne clashed, Sephira doing its job as his assistant. He could feel the magic pumping through his veins (though that was a joke he had never found amusing), coming at his beck and call whenever he needed it. The rush of _power_ was intoxicating. Every punch, every kick, every way he demonstrated that he didn’t even need a weapon to do damage had him on a high like no other. The power to defend himself. The power to do well for his nation, his bloodline. All the glory of battle would be his to hold.

Although… These warriors weren’t half bad. In fact, they were proving to be quite a challenge. The Warrior of Light could swing a sword like it was nothing but a stiff piece of rope and he conjured shields to block Vayne’s attacks. The other warrior, Cecil, Vayne learned as they called out each other’s names for help or warning, switched between light and dark magic with the skill of a master -

\- A ring of fire welled up in the center of the room and spread out to the outer rim. Vayne paid it no mind, assuming it was one of the world’s many abilities to change scenery. -

\- Noctis… Noctis was a marvel to watch whenever Vayne got the chance. He could _teleport_ to wherever his weapon had been thrown. He used a variety, as well. Swords, greatswords, daggers, lances… And then when his health fell through, a brilliant, light blue circle of various swords and arms lit up around him for him to command at his will.

Vayne _had_ to take a closer look. He readied himself, rushing in to land a blow right on the young man, who he was now suspecting to be a nobleman like himself. How odd. Noctis certainly didn’t display the _air_ of a king-

The woman - ______, he had learned - appeared almost out of nowhere, the blade of her sword _frozen_ over. She swung it up with the skill of amateur, but it was effective enough to throw him off.

_So she bested herself after all._

Witnessing the two “siblings” fighting together brought Vayne a new level of understanding. ______ was inexperienced. That was why she was reluctant to fight. Noctis balanced her out, and she did the same for him. She had an uncanny grasp of magic for someone so out of her element. It was almost as if she had too much of it than she knew what to do with.

_Perhaps I could use that…_

“Think you can freeze the place over?” Noctis asked. ______ faltered at his question. “You made that ring of fire, right?”

She _had?_ Hmm. Enough games. He had to see what she was really made of. He steadied himself and righted his body. Now ______ looked truly frightened. She didn’t know how to handle all the skilled and capable warriors around her. Instead of fighting, she was freezing.

_A small doe thrown to the wolves._

A flare of snowflakes burst out from her fear. It didn’t do much. Vayne had almost reached her. He noticed her hand freezing over in a similar manner.

_So it’s in tune with her emotions._

While intriguing, this girl wasn’t all that impressive on the battlefield. Not even utilizing her emotions to her advantage. No wonder she left leadership to her “brother.”

Speaking of her brother, right as Vayne reached her terrified frame, Noctis warped in, intercepting his attack. He must not have liked Vayne targeting her because he swung out again and again, driving him back. Vayne managed to block and dodge, but in came the Warrior with a devastating blow.

The crystal shattered. Good. His work was done.

Noctis gathered his sister and regrouped with the Warrior and Cecil.

_Failure. Hm, it matters not. Energy was the reason battle was born and it was achieved. Nothing ventured, nothing gained._

Vayne sighed shortly and stood to his full height. Time to get what he was _really_ after.

“Noctis, yes?” he questioned. “Pray tell, for what purpose do you fight - or would you fight - were you back home?”

Noctis started forward but then calmed. He thought for a second. “Something important was taken from me. I mean to take it back.”

A worthy cause. Vayne hummed, satisfied with that answer. Wanting to retrieve something stolen was a noble enough effort. Perhaps their goals were similar in that sense. Vayne pursued freedom from the gods’ tyranny. What could Noctis possibly wish to gain?

“That doesn't mean I’m just doing it for myself, though,” Noctis continued.

Oh?

“I’m doing it for everyone who depends on me.”

All eyes were on him.

“For everyone who has supported me this whole time.”

“Noct…” ______ whispered, touched.

“I can’t let them down… not when I owe them so much. …I need to get back soon.”

That… was not what he was expecting. To place such a burden on himself, to think the people who aided him worth the trouble though it was most likely their _job_ to assist him… He wasn’t bound by an obligation of duty or from whatever gods his world may possess.

“So…” Vayne said. “You bind yourself with fetters of your own making…”

Silence. Cecil stepped forward.

“What binds _you_ lends _us,”_ he said, “and Materia - the strength to protect what we cherish.”

Vayne couldn’t argue with that. After all, the goddess and Spiritus had left them to their own devices to solve whatever problem they somehow couldn’t themselves. But there was still another matter that was feeding his curiosity. Vayne looked to ______. She straightened awkwardly, leaning to one side.

“______, was it? And what is it that you fight for?” he asked. Noctis opened his mouth to talk for ______. Tch. Relying on others to speak for her now, was she? Vayne shook his head. “No, no. Let her answer for herself.”

“Um,” ______ thought. “Well… Do you mean… On my home planet? Or Noct’s? ‘Cause the answer is gonna be reeeaaally different depending on your answer.”

...What? She was from _two_ worlds over instead of one? No wonder she had been so miffed. He would’ve been, too, if not more so.

“I mean… I’ve said this a million times on Eos, but… Noctis and his friends have done so much for me since I… literally fell there. I don’t know if I can even get home, so… I just want to help them as best I can. And it isn’t much I can do, but…”

She looked Noct directly in the eye.

“They’re like family to me now.”

The fire around them began to die down. Vayne didn’t understand. Why would she feel _any_ obligation to help the people of a world not her own? Why would she not be searching for a way back? Was she really that _kind?_ That _caring?_ Whatever Noctis had lost must be great for her to even consider any alternatives. Or maybe she was naive and innocent, not knowing how to act in such a situation. Perhaps she preferred to wait and figure things out herself before taking strict actions. Before using what she probably dubbed as _rash decisions_ and _unnecessary violence._

A homesick pang thrust through Vayne’s heart as her image was almost replaced with another’s…

“I see…” he trailed. “And were you back home?”

She hid away in her hair. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Nothing, I guess. There isn’t really… anything I can think of… besides the same, but in a lesser quality.”

Noctis riled up slightly, concerned. “Hey, you-”

“Don’t,” She interrupted. “Please. We’ve gone over this before. Kind of.”

...Nothing? She felt nothing about her own world, her _home?_ Other than to help those closest to her? Was she really that… that… Vayne almost had no words.

Here stood a girl- no, a _woman_ who would go to such lengths as getting stuck on not one world, but _two_ just to help someone she had only known for a limited amount of time. Would she truly stick with Noctis to the end of his journey? Did she really think of him as _family_ after so short a time?

“A soul of kindness,” Vayne said slowly, “of such compassion… has hardly any place in such ruthless worlds.”

“A soft heart in a cruel world is strength, not weakness.”

His turned more towards her. It was an interesting observation. He considered countering it, but… He remembered his own brother. So determined to do the right thing for their people, so kind in his efforts to spread peace. He would be eaten alive by the political world if Vayne wasn’t there acting as a protective shield. And yet… Larsa knew the risks. He knew the _problems_ and the _issues_ he faced as one so young and destined to become emperor. And yet still, he continued.

Her words having struck a chord with him, Vayne said, “So it is.”

Warrior sheathed his sword. “Our work here is done. Let us depart.”

Evidence of ______ 's caring nature rose up as soon as they began walking. Vayne witnessed what was practically a _miracle_ in its own right as with one tap, she _healed_ Noctis of his ailments from their battle. She flinched as she did so, as though taking the pain into herself. How sweet, Vayne thought.

And then… Having known them for little more than a few hours, she did the same for the Warrior and Cecil. It caused her to hunch over with the feeling of what they had witnessed. Vayne observed her grimace. To take the wounds of another oneself and relieve them of pain… No wonder she had reached such a philosophy of the strength of soft hearts.

The icing on the cake of intrigue was when she walked right up to him, avoided eye contact awkwardly, and held out a hand. Having been raised a gentleman, he took it without question. Suddenly, all the bruises and scratches he had received from the fight ebbed away. All that was left was the memory and the faint sensation of someone having touched him in all the spots they had been.

Magic. What magic she possessed was highly potent and had _fantastic_ potential.

Still a noble gentleman, Vayne lifted her hand delivered a soft kiss to it. A slight red dusted her cheeks as she stared at him like a deer in the headlights.

_Hmm… Timid at heart. Her circumstances must override her usual nature._

“______, get a move on already!” Noctis called out. She straightened up, embarrassed, and apologized to her brother. Then she tilted her head back to Vayne, still avoiding eye contact.

“Um, bye!”

They exchanged one last look before she exited through the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vayne is a self righteous bastard and I love him. Reader and Larsa are precious cinnamon rolls who have to keep him in check lol


	2. Another Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vayne meets ______ once more.

The search for a way home yielded little results. Spiritus would not relent in his efforts to have them fight Materia’s warriors. He had wanted to argue, but Vayne knew it would be fruitless. So he opted to find his own way back to Ivalice.

Vayne found himself in another memory dome. Heat scorched his face, as the rest of him was covered. Not quite Dalmasca, but it was certainly warm enough to remind him of it. The terrain surrounding him was more of a desert grassland. Mountains in the distance, shrubs and small trees here and there. Lots of abandoned structures still stood. In a short distance, he could see white smoke drifting up from a mound. Might as well see what it is.

The mound was covered with faded, light blue runes. A campfire had been recently put out in the middle. Clumps of pointed, glowing rocks sprouted up around the mound. Strange.

As Vayne stood there, observing his surroundings, a portal opened. He watched as ______ fell perhaps a few feet on the ground. He couldn’t see her expression, but it probably displayed disdain for being dropped so suddenly. She got to her feet and spun around slowly. It was as if she immediately recognized where she was.

_Maybe this a spot from her world…?_

Forever one for dramatic entrances, Vayne turned his back as she headed towards the runed mound. He saw her absorb something from one of the pointed rocks. Magic, perhaps? And then a gasp left her as she saw him standing there.

“Gladio!” she shouted. Vayne furrowed his brows. She thought he was someone else. “Gladio, you’ll never guess- you won’t _believe_ what just happened to Noct and me: we were just in this other world and there were people there - people like _us_ \- and we had no idea what was going on and he thought you were playing a trick on him- …You’re… not Gladio.”

Vayne had slowly spun around as she spoke. She seemed to believe she was back on Noctis’ world. Poor thing. Did she not understand the whims of the gods?

Her eyebrows furrowed. She looked back out at the land around them.

“I could’ve sworn…” she whispered. She slumped with an inaudible sob.

Oh, dear. _There_ was the conflict he had expected. She masked her inner turmoil with a somewhat lighthearted attitude. Vayne’s curiosity grew and grew. She was a case unlike he had ever seen. From two worlds over, no way to return…

“Hey, look,” she said, sighing, “I’m not here for a fight. I just wanna get Noctis and then go home. And by that I mean get back to Eos and maybe then go home.”

“Ah,” he said, “and here I thought we pawns would fight for our freedom yet again.”

“I’m not a-!” She started angrily. Then she stopped and sighed again. Her eyes were trained on the ground. “I wish I could say that and actually mean it.”

Now _that_ was what he was looking for. There was more to her story than she willed to let on. Something had brought her to Noctis’ planet. And whatever it was, it was most likely not benevolent.

He stepped closer and into her vision. She shyly peered up. And promptly gulped.

_Still so easily affected…_

“I take it you are not so fond of the gods, either?” he inquired. She leaned to the side, trying to find a way to explain, and shrugged.

“It’s a long story,” she summarized. He nodded. “I, um… Ah… I don’t think I, um…”

Yes, yes, she was quite timid. Noctis must override her anxieties.

She scratched at her arm awkwardly. He waited patiently. She looked away to be able to speak properly.

“I don’t think I got your name earlier.”

He smiled and her eyes widened.

“Vayne Solidor,” he said with a small bow. “And I believe your name is ______, yes?”

“Yep,” she said shortly. Vayne was somewhat used to having such an effect on women, but her reactions were so undeniably genuine. He was drawn to it.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Uh, same. I guess.”

_Such a casual tone of speech._

His intrigue into her entire being demanded answers. He just _had_ to know her story. So, he gazed out at the surrounding desert grassland. She followed where he was looking.

“I don’t think this is one of _my_ memories,” he said. Her head tilted to the side cutely.

“It’s, uh,” she stuttered. “It’s mine. I think. Or Noct’s. Or maybe both of ours? Hmm…”

“It reminds me of the outskirts of Rabanastre.”

“Of what?”

“Rabanastre - it is the Crown City of Dalmasca.”

“Oh.”

She spun around to look in the distance beyond a small town.

“I actually think Insomnia’s that way,” she told him. That must be their Crown City. “I mean, I don’t really know. I’m not from this world, exactly.”

“Ah, yes, the ‘outlier who should not have been counted.’ Quite fitting.”

“Thanks.”

She looked up at the sky beyond the campsite and pointed.

“I fell from there.”

Vayne’s eyes followed the way she was pointing.

“You fell from the _sky?”_ he asked, bewildered. How on earth…?

“Yep. I’m really lucky Noct and his friends managed to catch me. And that they were there at all.”

No wonder she felt such obligations to Noctis. He had saved her life. And not only that, but he had let her accompany him on his journey. Vayne, himself, wasn’t sure he would go to such lengths to repay someone for such a thing, but he had to admire her loyalty.

A portal opened beside them. ______ glared at it. She looked so close to ignoring it. Vayne couldn’t let that happen. He gestured to the cosmic opening.

“Shall we?” he said. She continued glaring at it.

“I’m inclined to stay here,” she gritted. “Materia didn’t want me here.”

She didn’t? But hadn’t she summoned her here? Why summon her if she was not needed?

“I’m afraid we don’t have much choice,” Vayne said. “And your brother is waiting for you, is he not?”

Determination took over her face. So even in these trying times, she would stay with Noctis. She nodded. Then Vayne nodded toward the portal. She blinked. He waited. She sighed.

_I am not risking you tricking me and staying behind._

He followed her through.

“Oh please not again.”

The portal opened into a square room made of intricately carved stone. A staircase lied in the middle, leading up. It was blocked halfway. Strange lights lit up the room, though not enough to see very clearly. Fragments of stone lied in each corner of the room by odd square platforms.

“Any idea as to where we might be?” Vayne asked when the portal closed. ______ 's eye twitched.

“Costlemark Tower,” she said, irritated. “Noct and I were literally just here.”

Were they? Interesting. What could lie in such a space that would attract them? Treasure? Or perhaps something to help them claim whatever it was that had been taken from Noctis?

Cool air caused ______ to shiver. She slipped her coat back on. Then she lit a small flame in her hands. Vayne had to step closer in order to see.

“Interesting…” was all he said. His close proximity was giving her a case of the nervous stiffness. Her breath was shallow as she tried to keep her composure. She had only known him for not even an hour. If it had been anyone else, he would’ve found it annoying. But her… She was… different. Her rapid affections developed rather cutely. She was so genuinely shy and wasn’t actively vying for his attention. Not like the ladies in court…

“This might be a weird question, but… can you use magic? Or at least hold it?”

What an odd question. Of course he could use magic. Why wouldn’t he be able to? He eyed her questioningly. “A bit, yes. Why?”

“Here.”

She conjured up another flame and gave it to him. It pulsed happily in the hands of another magic user. Strange. Instead feeding her fancy and keeping him close, she gave him the option of having his own space.

“You were just here, you said?” Vayne asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Noct and I got locked down here after accidentally setting off a trap. It was just the two of us versus a whole bunch of daemons. And then we almost died. Er, well, I almost died. Twice.”

Goodness, did she have to be so nonchalant about such things?

“Hmm… And what exactly is this place?”

“I… don’t know, actually. What it’s for, that is. It’s an ancient tower from Solheim. We’re underground, though. The top looks like the Colosseum back in my world. Gotta love those arches.”

“You enjoy architecture?”

“Yep, yep! Just ask Noct. He and Prompto couldn’t keep up with me. They gave up halfway through my happy bouncing between rooms and columns.”

“Then it appears we have something in common.”

She looked over at him, eyes sparkling.

_“Nice,”_ she emphasized. She went to the stairs to sit down. Before she reached them, a faded image of her sleeping with her head on Noctis’ lap appeared. Vayne watched as her past self awoke and sat up. She took the blanket from around, wrapped it around herself and her brother, and went back to sleep, head on Noctis’ shoulder.

“How sweet,” Vayne said. _______ jumped, a shiver running down her spine. “But you’re not actually related, are you?”

“N-no- nope. Just have that sibling bond.”

Ah, that explained a lot. There was no conceivable way they could be related if they were from two different worlds. Although, perhaps their homes weren’t too different, seeing as they got along so well.

She found a spot to sit on the staircase. Another memory played.

_“I thought you said left!”_

_“We already did that one!”_

_“No we didn’t! It went right instead of forward.”_

_“But the last one did the same thing.”_

_“No it didn’t!”_

_“Yes it did!”_

_“No it didn’t!”_

_“Yes it did.”_

Then…

_“I don’t think this is going to work.”_

_“Shh… I’m thinking.”_

_“Seriously, Noctis, it couldn’t be left three times in a row. How do you even know where we’re going? Everything looks the same!”_

_“Just… hold on a sec.”_

_“We’ve been at this for hours. Can we please take a break?”_

_“Will you shut up for a second and let me figure this out?”_

_“Fine. I’ll be over there watching and judging every move you make.”_

“This is trippy…” _______ muttered, now sitting. The flame in her hand sparked up with slight embarrassment, the flames tinged green. Vayne came to sit next to her.

“It almost reminds me of my own brothers,” he said wistfully.

“You have brothers?”

“Had. They were… …They were killed. Now all I have left is the youngest of us.”

“Oh. I’m… I’m sorry.”

He didn’t say anything. There was no way he would tell a stranger of the war between him and his two older brothers. Better yet, he would _never_ tell someone he knew let alone hardly knew the details of how he had killed them both. He had done what needed to be done. And yet… the weight of guilt never rested easily on anyone. So he kept telling himself it was his duty to do whatever it took to keep his people safe, safe from the hands of corruption.

Both his and ______ 's flames died down to deep reds with hints of orange. Vayne wondered why this world of Spiritus’ had brought him to this particular spot. If there was nothing to fight, then why show him such a space? Did it know of his curiosity about ______? What had brought her to Noct’s world? Why did she insist on helping him so adamantly? Why risk her life for his? All he needed to do was ask the right questions to get her talking…

The image of her and Noctis on similar looking stairs arranged itself in the space before them.

_“Yeah, I’m alright,” ______ muttered. “Like I told Ignis, it happened so fast I didn’t really give myself a chance to protest. You’re my friends, and… well, you’re the only friends I have right now. And I care about you. I get attached really quickly, I know. I don’t mean to. But… I was scared you’d get hurt. I just couldn’t let that happen.”_

_Noctis sighed. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Just… You know you don’t have to take full responsibility for us, right? I know you’re grateful, and that’s nice to hear. But… You don’t owe us anything. You’re our friend, too.”_

_A smile came upon ______ 's lips._

_“Yeah, I know,” she said. “It’s a nice thought. I’m really glad for it.”_

_“It’s… weird,” Noctis sighed. “We haven’t known you that long, but…”_

_He paused again. Something clattered nearby and faded._

_“It feels like… I’ve known you forever, I guess.”_

She ‘gets attached really quickly’? Should Vayne buy that? Well, based on what he had observed so far, the answer would be _yes._ Noctis and his friends were all she had in that world. While Vayne couldn’t _quite_ understand how she wasn't searching for a way home, he had to give her credit for sticking to what she knew would help her for the time being. However, her explanation to Noctis about the inner workings of her mind sounded awfully familiar…

“Hey, memory bubble, these are private,” ______ called out. She crossed her arms and leaned on them.

“Perhaps it’s trying to tell you something,” Vayne said. This would give him a chance to test his theories.

“Yeah, but what? We just had that conversation…”

“If I may…”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“I feel it is reiterating exactly what he told me before we arrived here. However, it is from a different perspective. It may very well be that he believes he is under obligation to you. I don’t know what it is that he lost, and I won’t pretend to, but be that as it may, he understands how you feel. You’ve both lost something precious and are both working much too hard to prove to the other that he or she has your support.”

She was quiet for a long moment. It was clear she hadn’t thought of it that way before. Her silence was enough for Vayne to confirm his thoughts. She _did_ have a sense of duty, but it was to those around her, to individuals she cared about. It was the same for Noctis.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Of course. I am always happy to be of assistance.”

“But what about you?”

About him?

“Is this the only reason you’re here? Or is there some inner turmoil burning within you, too?”

Ah. Her kindness extended to him, of course.

“There is inner turmoil in all of us, I think,” he said somewhat humorously. “I wouldn’t suppose there is anything bothering me. I merely wish to return home to Ivalice so I may carry out the remainder of the plan I have concocted.”

“...Can I ask what kind of plan it is?”

“One of possible sacrilege, as it were, as well as one to bring more power to the Archadian Empire and glory to House Solidor.”

A look of deadpan understanding crossed her features.

“Well, why do you want power so much?” she asked. “Is it worth a possible Pyrrhic victory?”

Oh? Thinking to debate about war with _him_ of all people? She must be better educated than he thought.

“The gods think they can rule us,” he said. “I aim to free us from their grasp. We won’t be their toys any longer. History is made by man alone.”

“Alright. That’s fair,” she said. “The empire on Eos is also on a quest to destroy the gods. Except… Noct kinda needs their blessings to become king so… I don’t know… They took me from my home and thought I’d be fine, I guess. I don’t really… know how to feel about that. At least you’re trying to do something about it.”

_I’m sorry - Noctis needs **what?**_

Vayne quelled the boiling anger rising in his chest.

“It is most perverted that you should require the gods’ _approval_ to make history.”

And taking her from her home? What sort of stunt was _that?_ Who do they think they are?!

Sighing, she nodded in defeat.

“Yeah,” she said almost hopelessly. “I admire your initiative, though. I don’t think I’d be able to do that without being blasted into oblivion.”

“And here, there is no civilization. Only two gods who suppose they can mold us to their whims.”

“I know, right? There’s- If there’s no one here, then what’s the point? Nothing’s going to happen but endless conflict.”

She shared his views. It wasn’t often someone did. Or at least, not to the same extremity. It was refreshing.

“Would that I had the time to correct it,” Vayne muttered.

“Correct it…?”

Frustration bubbled again. First Ivalice, then Noctis’ world, now _here…_ If men make history in all worlds, then why suppress them and keep them from progressing?

His eyes had narrowed and he stared very intently at the ground.

“As you stated, there is no point to a world without history,” he said. “There is no purpose it serves to benefit any people.”

“So… what,” _______ responded, “would you just destroy it?”

“Yes. It is most reasonable, especially if it proves a threat to Archadia, and the rest of Ivalice.”

“Hmm…”

Here it came. She’d berate him for his supposedly ‘reckless’ way of thinking. She’d argue with him for the others’ sakes, that they had lives, too, and needed to get home like he did. What would happen if they just disappeared? He knew Larsa would never approve, and ______ was too much like him. Vayne awaited her words of scorn.

She managed to look him in the eye.

“Well… As dramatic as that is,” she said, swallowing, “there’s nothing I can find to counter that, I guess. I’ve never destroyed a world before, so… Sounds fun in theory. I’d join you if I could. Just… be careful, okay? I’m sure your brother wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”

Oh. She… actually agreed with him? Had she not thought it through properly? Or was she really as reasonable as he? It wasn’t often someone agreed him wholly. Not on matters like these. But… He _liked_ the thought of someone _somewhere_ thinking in the same manner he did. Perhaps it was the thrill of speaking to someone from another world, another society that gave him that spark. No matter how different their planets may be, they still somehow came to the same conclusions.

He decided to give her rare gift: a slight, awkward smile. Her eyes widened at the sight.

My, my, still so easily affected.

The stairs were rather narrow, he realized. She was awfully close. He should move. But… he still felt drawn to this odd woman from two worlds over. He wanted to know _more_ about her story. Maybe there was something in it he could learn from or use the knowledge to his advantage back home.

He opened his mouth to speak. A portal interrupted him. _______ glared at it.

“I suppose that is our cue to continue on,” Vayne said instead of inquiring more about her transfer for Noctis’ world. He stood. She stayed on the stairs, disappointed. He held out a gloved hand. She took it.

“Thanks,” she muttered when he helped her up. He nodded.

They walked through the portal together.


	3. All Good Things Come With A Price

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vayne learns ______ is a direct product of what happens when the gods meddle with the human body.

“______!”

“Noct!”

As soon as _______ had seen her brother, she took off to greet him. Vayne watched as she ignored her surroundings and slipped on the tiles beneath her. He lunged forward to catch her in time.

“You should really be more careful,” he said, pulling her back up. Her cheeks were dusted red from being so close.

_I wonder... Am I the only one who affects her in this manner?_

He watched as she greeted Noctis with a big hug. It was returned and Vayne found himself thinking this scene to be endearing if not unnecessary.

“I was so worried,” Noctis breathed. “Where the hell were you?!”

“Volume,” ______ croaked at him. She n extracted herself from her brother. “Back near Hammerhead and then Costlemark Tower.”

“More memory portals, I take it,” Cecil cut in. Vayne nodded along with _______. It was then Noctis’ attention turned to him.

_“You,”_ he seethed. He stepped forward, ready to fight again. Vayne was prepared to defend himself, both physically and with words. If he would be accused of stealing ______ away, then he’d best make them aware of the situation. “What’s the big idea-?!”

“Noct, it wasn’t him!” _______ surprised them by stepping in front of Vayne. “This world likes its portals and we’ve already established that Materia hates me.”

Hates her? Why would that be the case? If she had summoned her here, why condemn her for it?

“Why did it show you Costlemark?” Noctis asked. “Weren’t we just there?”

______ glanced at Vayne. He let her speak.

“Reasons,” she said shortly. Vayne quietly sighed as Noctis gave her a deadpan expression. “Certain… revelations I may or may not talk to you about later.”

So neither of them were all that comfortable baring their true emotions. That much Vayne understood himself. Still, it would be better if they understood each other in the long run.

“Come on,” Noctis said. “We were just about to talk to Spiritus about that video call thing.”

______ and her friends began to climb the walkway slope leading up to the top of the dome. This must be where they part ways. Vayne wouldn’t invite himself, no matter how strong his curiosity was. He had been raised to be polite, and polite he would remain.

“Hey,” ______ called out. Vayne looked up to see her awkwardly standing a ways away. “Wanna… come with us?”

She _wanted_ him to come? Well, if it meant learning more about her predicament and how people from other worlds functioned and thought, then…

“I see no reason not to,” Vayne said, walking forward to join them. She smiled. Had she just adopted him as a friend? Or was it her fanciful liking for him that motivated her to ask him? Perhaps both…?

He watched as electricity sparkled in her hand. She raised her hand and released the smallest bit of magic, just enough - to hit Noctis in the back of the head.

_Oh, yes, they are most definitely sibling material._

“So you were in Costlemark, right?” Noct asked after protesting her use of magic. “Please don’t tell me you almost died _again.”_

“Well, they do say the third time’s the charm,” ______ said, her hands in the shape of… guns?

_Honestly…! How can they speak so casually of it?!_

Noctis wasn’t amused either.

“No,” ______ assured hum. “I’m fine, really. Nothing attacked us.”

“Then what were you doing…?” Noctis asked.

“Having meaningful conversations, unlike this one.”

Vayne laughed to himself. Wit was always a go-to for teasing one’s brother.

“And how did you elude death before?” he asked. Cecil glanced back, interested in the conversation but also concerned.

“Hi-elixir the first time,” ______ explained. Of course, of course. Very useful. “I’ve got scars now, though. The second time I was launched across a room by that jabberwock I told you guys about earlier. Hit the control room wall. It hurt. Noct killed the thing - very impressively, I might add - and helped me back to camp.”

Goodness, this woman had gone through more in a few weeks than he had in the last two years after Archadia took Dalmasca. She was much tougher than she looked.

“Why bring the small one with you?” Garland asked. Vayne had hardly registered him being there. “If she can hardly protect herself?”

“I’m not _that_ small…”

Still, she was the smallest one there, and the most inexperienced. Vayne had to wonder himself why Materia had summoned her. Surely Noctis would have been enough.

“I don’t believe Noct will let her out of his sight,” Cecil explained. “Thus is the way of the older brother. In a situation like this, at least.”

“We’re the same age.”

“Still.”

If only they knew how much Vayne related. He would do anything for Larsa. _Kill_ for him even. In fact, he planned to…

“And Materia has already questioned her being here,” Warrior said. “It was an accident.”

An _accident?_ How could someone mess up a summoning like that? Was he implying that _______ appeared out of nowhere without being summoned? Or had she come with Noctis unintentionally?

“Just my luck…” she muttered.

“But I think you’ve proven your worth,” Warrior continued. Pink warmed _____ 's cheeks. Her gaze fixed on the ground.

“Thanks…” she said, slightly embarrassed.

They reached the dome. Cecil and Warrior revealed that they had discovered earlier a planesgorger. They all have to work together to prevent this realm’s destruction. Vayne realized now that it was good that he was here. If this beast was not destroyed, then Ivalice could very well be a target. If this world was connected to so many others… It was the perfect feeding ground. He could _not_ let it get away with threatening his home.

Spiritus allowed ______ 's friends to contact Materia to share the news. However, before he got the interdimensional call going, it opened up in front of them from the other end. Everyone turned and stared in surprise.

“Don’t waste the last drops of our precious time gawking,” a high pitched female voice said, “the situation demands we begin talking!”

“Gawking?” Warrior turned to Noct. “Was I gawking?”

______ shrugged.

“What’re you asking me for?” Noctis shot back. Materia’s eyes widened.

“Do you mean to turn my champions against me?” she demanded, furious. Vayne could feel ______ bristling beside him. He didn’t blame her. If he had been summoned but Spiritus told him he wasn’t supposed to be there, he’d be enraged, too.

“Save your quarrelsome posturing for another time, Materia,” Spiritus retorted, slamming his sword into the ground.

“Can anyone in this place speak normally for once please?” _______ muttered. The goddess’ furious eyes landed on her.

“Or was it you who swayed them?” she asked. _______ stepped back in shock.

“What?!” she exclaimed. Electricity crackled around her. “The hell kind of claim is that?”

“You were not supposed to be here.”

“Might I remind you that was _your_ fault!”

Lightning cracked in front of the screen. ______ 's fingers twitched. Vayne’s curiosity peaked with the sight of whatever magic she possessed showing itself again.

_Fascinating. Her emotions have neary summoned a storm._

Still, there was plenty of time for studying this phenomenon later.

“We don’t have time for this,” Warrior interrupted.

“_______, you need to calm down,” Noct whispered.

“Calm down? You want me to calm down when she-?”

“Now is neither the time nor place to contend with divinity,” Vayne cut in. _______ met his gaze, sharp comment ready to fire. She stopped when she saw the accusatory patience in his eyes. Then she looked away, the electric energy dissipating.

_Do remember our conversation, yes?_

“Right,” she said reluctantly, almost as if she had read this thoughts. One hand clutched at the other. “We can, uh, plan a hostile takeover later.”

He nodded approvingly.

_‘Hostile takeover?’ Over **gods?** Hmm, a woman after my own heart._

“Remind me what you two were talking about earlier?” Noct asked, ever confused.

“Later,” ______ dismissed. Spiritus looked to his left where an eccentrically dressed sorceress conjured an orb with the image of the large, golden snake inside it.

“As even fragments of the beast take this form,” she proclaimed, “our travails will persist until we kill it outright.”

The golden snake vanished. Materia looked surprised, like she had no idea what to do.

“Seems like wherever we go,” a voice from her end said, “there they are.”

A small, rodent-like woman hovered up from the ground.

“Our paths home are blocked as long as it draws breath,” she said.

“What?” ______ gasped.

“Another reason it deserves a quick death.”

_We need to kill it **now.** If there’s even a chance it will target Archadia…_

“Did you know of this, Spiritus?” Materia asked accusingly. “Did you stand idly by while the world’s lifeblood was siphoned away?”

_______ lightly smacked her hand over her own face as Spiritus explained that he knew as little as she did. He also reasoned that as they grow, so their world must grow with them.

_At the very least, I was summoned by the god with the most reason._

“Very well,” Materia finally agreed. “Then I have a request: Warriors of distant worlds, lend us your strength and skill. Pull this world out from the mire of combat.”

_If I must… For Ivalice._

A moment passed. Then the Warrior of Light came forward and stood before her. He drew his sword and held in front of him.

“The light…” he declared, “will always be with us!”

The call ended.

“That was so cliche it hurt,” ______ muttered. Then she stared Noctis down, pretending to be serious. “Also, I think I’m starting to side with the empire, here, Noct.”

_Oh?_

Noctis looked comically betrayed, even holding a hand to his heart.

“And here I thought I could trust you,” he said, catching on to the joke. _____ smiled.

“Guess I’ll have to join Ardyn then.”

_I understand it’s a joke, but even so… Perhaps she and I aren’t entirely different…_

Noctis laughed. “Imagine that. Chancellor’s assistant.”

That gained chuckles from everyone, including Vayne. Spiritus then told Materia’s warriors that a portal opened up at the bottom of the tower. It was time for them to leave. So soon? Well, Vayne could still observe ______ and Noctis as they left. Maybe he’d have time for more questions later. His mind was full of them. How did ______ fall from the sky? _Why_ did she fall? What purpose did the gods have for bringing her to Noctis’ world? Why wasn’t she searching for a way home?

The portal was a ways away from the tower, maybe a hundred feet. Not too far in hindsight, but a group of Manikins attacked them halfway They were tall and intimidating with dark armor and sharp weapons that could pierce anything. ______ took one look at them and scrambled backwards. She bumped into Vayne trying to hurriedly backtrack.

_Where has that fighting spirit gone?_

“Hey,” Noctis called out at him. “Vayne, right? If you want something to fight for, protect my sister!”

_If I must. It shan’t be hard. She reminds of Larsa in some ways._

But Larsa knew how to fight. Every member of their family did. ______, though, was very inexperienced. She had held her own in their last battle, but began to cower when she realized how little of a chance she stood of surviving against power foes. Vayne didn’t know what to make of it. She left the difficult things to Noctis, but she didn’t hesitate to make comments on what he did.

______ bristled silently.

“I’d protest that I don’t need protection,” she growled, “but then I’d be lying.”

Noctis summoned his armiger with a bright flash. The streaks of blue almost clouded their vision. As she watched her brother join the fray, Vayne summoned the Sephira. They struck one enemy that got too close.

“Show off!”

_______ 's attention turned to Vayne. She looked on as he commanded the swords with ease. They flew around him a circle and lashed out at any adversaries. Pride swelled through him for possessing such a magical, _powerful_ weapon.

“This is Sephira,” he introduced, “the divine sword.”

Her eyes squinted, as though she didn’t believe him. She searched over him for a sign of jest. Why would she think he was lying? Because such weapons were rare? Were Mist-infused weapons unheard of to her?

_Most likely._

“Isn’t that the name of the dragon from Eragon?” she asked. Her head tilted in confusion. Vayne felt equally as confused. The dragon from _what?_ And she had recognized the name. Did it mean something in her world? She blinked. “Nevermind. That’s cool.”

Her own sword shimmered into existence, much like Noctis’ did. Interesting. She could use the same type of magic her brother did. No wonder they saw each other as family.

“Noct’s family’s magic lets him do that,” she explained. “He can lend it out to other people. Not the warping, though. I really wish I could do that.”

Ah, so that was how he did it.

“This is Ithilcalad, by the way. Elvish for ‘moon fire’.”

_Wait, what? Elvish?_

“...Elvish, as in the _Lord of the Rings?”_

Vayne knew this woman was intriguing, but he would never find himself attached to someone after having only spent maybe an hour or so with him. No, that would be unbecoming. He also prided himself on his good composure, along with many other things. However, an odd emotion misted through his chest at the sight of her face lighting up with excitement. Her eyes widened. She grinned widely.

“You know the Lord of the Rings?” _____ asked eagerly. She bounced energetically on her feet. Vayne nodded. The biggest smile appeared on her lips. He had to admit, being the source of someone’s extreme happiness was a nice feeling. He knew that under his rule, the peoples of Ivalice would be safe and protected. But would they be happy? Did it matter to him?

And then there was the existence of a series of books on both of their planets. How odd. To have that one thing in common. Vayne, like many others his age, had grown up with the books. He remembered his mother reading _the Hobbit_ to him when he was young. He had done the same with Larsa. And now _____ stood before, declaring that it existed where she was from, too. After all, she couldn’t have read all those books in just a few weeks on Noctis’ world.

“You should really see Eos, then!” she told him. “It’s like a- like a… It’s like a modern Middle-earth!”

“Is it now?” Vayne inquired, curious to see if their versions of the stories were at all similar. She hummed while nodding.

“There’re ruins all over the place! Everywhere we go, I can always feel the history there. We’ve been to all sorts of places, from ancient ruins like those Solheim ones we saw to thickets and forests. We even delved into an old mine, like the Mines of Moria only less impressive and really dusty…”

She had been quite an adventure so far. Their versions of Tolkien’s added up so far, as well.

_Fascinating, that her world and mine have this in common._

“And Noctis is a lot like Aragorn,” she continued. “Reluctant to take up his title as king and unsure of himself. And throughout our journey, he’s been collecting these Royal Arms, which are weapons his ancestors used. You can see them when he conjures his armiger. We find them _everywhere,_ even that dusty, old mine and a thicket. _And_ inside Costlemark.”

_Ah, so that’s how they found they way there. Noctis has quite a legacy to uphold. Here’s to hoping he’s up to the task…_

“Ignis told us the reason all these tombs are in weird locations like a dirty cave are because the kings were buried in places they added to Lucis’ territory. Still, that’s _two_ dim, dark caves - no, _three_ dim, dark caves we’ve found them in…”

_A rich history and legacy… And to find herself part of such a tale… Her enthusiasm for Lord of the Rings explains her attachment to this world, if it is as similar to Middle-earth as she claims._

“And I’ve seen pictures of Insomnia’s Citadel- oh, sorry… I, uh, I should’ve asked if I should keep going…”

Vayne turned himself more towards her. She looked sheepish, head retreating back into the hood of her coat. A Manikin leapt too close. Vayne commanded the Sephira to chase it off before it attacked.

“By all means,” he said to _______, “do continue.”

She perked up again and in a few sentences told him of the Crown City’s Citadel reminding her Gondor. It was too bad it was destroyed by Niflheim, she said. Gondor had managed to withstand the army of Mordor, but would it have against daemons? Vayne had no idea - he’d never fought daemons before. Right as she was telling him about a volcano called Ravatogh, the battle came to an end.

The fight had been a tough one. The shadows were getting stronger, it seemed. The three who had fought were worn out. Noctis was the worst off. Small cuts and bruises littered his skin like confetti that had fallen to the ground. His chest was heaving from exerting himself so hard. Before he could say no, ______ was already going around and healing everyone.

But something was wrong.

Vayne watched her carefully. Her magic was still as excellent as he had already seen. If she could harness those powers correctly, Archadia could benefit greatly from a mage as powerful as she. However, the moment her finger her finger came into contact with Noctis’ nose, a near-deafening cough belted through the air. ______ bent over slightly as more rasping coughs came from her mouth. Vayne’s eyebrows furrowed. How odd. That happened the first time… Her hand came to grasp at her throat. She began to lower herself to the ground. She couldn’t stand. She tried gasping for breath, but to no avail. Noctis followed her to the ground as she knelt.

“What’s going on?” Cecil was asking. Warrior also looked extremely concerned. Vayne watched with scrutinising eyes.

“I have no idea!” Noctis said frantically. “This has happened before, but- oh gods- Does anyone have some water?”

Something splattered on the ground. Blood was coming out.

_How…? No… This did not occur the first time so how…? What’s different from then as opposed to now?_

Vayne thought over it carefully. What would cause such a reaction inside her? How did she receive such magic? Most magic had to be taught and learned from spells. This, though… She could conjure a storm from anger, snowflakes from fear. What more could she do? If such magic latched onto her emotions, then… It was as if the power came from _inside of her._

_Oh, I see…_

“Get her inside the tower,” Vayne instructed.

“What?” Warrior questioned.

“Help her to Spiritus’ tower. _Now.”_

Noctis helped her to stand. He and Cecil supported them to the tower Spiritus resided in. The effect Vayne had been looking for took action immediately. The moment ______ 's foot stepped into the threshold, her coughs halted. They became gasps for air as Noctis and Cecil lowered her down to lean against the wall along the slope.

_Oh, yes, Noctis is very lucky to have such a dynamic mage in his command._

“How did you know?” Cecil asked Vayne.

“It was simple, really,” he answered. “She did not take ill when first we met. The influence of the dark seems to counteract it.”

“Wait,” Noct said as I breathed normally again. His eyes narrowed. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Vayne shook his head slightly. He met ______ 's gaze.

“You are from a world different than the rest of ours, yes?” he asked. I nodded. “And does this world possess magic?”

She shook her head.

“She was blessed by the gods,” Noctis explained. Of course she was. “When she got here- I mean, there. To Eos. Like my family, but a bit different. Said there’s no magic where she’s from. Just science.”

“Ah…” Vayne said. “Then I believe I see the problem.”

“You think they overdid it,” Cecil observed.

“What?” Noctis asked. “There’s no way…”

“Too much light can cause harm,” Warrior said. “Even I know that. There needs to be a balance. It’s why she can heal the way she does. There’s no even amount.”

“Exactly,” Vayne concluded. “And therefore, a bit of darkness is needed reach a stable threshold. It would also explain the amount of power she possesses to be able to summon a storm from sheer anger.”

“So they just zapped her with energy and said ‘go nuts’?” Noctis said. “Are they crazy?”

_Oh, dear Noctis, they can be much, **much** worse._

“In many cases, yes. Or desperate. Or power-consumed. Perhaps all three at once. It can be difficult to tell, but the black magic she can use is her soul’s way of making up for the lack of the dark.”

“And how do you know all this?” Warrior asked.

“I have spent a reasonable amount of time in my life studying the gods and certain magical… conditions that have led to such a conclusion in their analogy.”

______ 's eyelids drooped. The poor thing looked exhausted.

“I understand you must return to Materia. Noctis, you may remain here with her if you so wish. But if not, I will permit you to leave her in my care.”


	4. Consul et Medica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vayne learns more about _______ and her journey.

“You’re saying she could not survive Materia’s dwelling?” Spiritus asked. Vayne sighed.

“Not in the state she is in, no,” he answered. “So I ask that she remain here for the time being.”

“Very well. If she’s going to stay here with the rest of my warriors-”

Vayne silently scoffed at being referred to as Spiritus’.

“-then why don’t you bring her up here? I will admit, I’m curious to see what caused Materia so much anguish about an uninvited guest.”

Vayne’s silence triggered another response.

“I will not harm her. If not even Materia wants her, then I doubt I will, as well.”

Vayne had to calm the anger welling in his chest. Would these gods just cast this near-helpless woman aside? As though she were nothing? How sickening. Neither she nor anyone else here were _pawns_ to be used as the gods pleased.

“It will be her choice to make,” he ground out in the end. Spiritus dipped his head and dismissed him. Vayne bit back an angry comment and turned to leave. He decided to rid himself of this vile feeling; it wouldn’t yield any desirable results. So he began the trek back down the tower.

_There’s a chance she left in what time I was gone. I wouldn’t blame her. She seems to rely on Noctis an awful amount._

He thought over her predicament.

_Such power… Both light and dark fused into the same body… What would happen if she used these abilities to their full potential? She could have anything she wanted. Archadia could certainly benefit from her, if she could be persuaded._

Still, there was the matter of _personality._ ______ was too nice, too concerned for others. He did not take her for someone who actively pursued conquest or dominance. Actually, she seemed quite submissive. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

_If I could gain her favor and story, I might be able to convince her to come with me. And then, once I’ve gained her trust, we can work towards the Empire’s goals. All I need is that unwavering loyalty._

And he would gain it, but at the cost of something he didn’t even know he had much of.

“I see you’re still here,” Vayne said. He had reached the bottom of the dome. _______ sat there, curled up against the wall. She looked so small and fragile. So helpless... She glanced up at him.

“Yep,” she answered quietly.

“You are welcome at the top, if you wish to come.”

“Maybe. Thanks.”

He kept standing and leaned back on the wall next to her. Patience was something Vayne had in spades. He wondered if she would speak first.

“Do…” She licked her lips. “Do you really think I’ve got too much light, or whatever?”

He nodded. “It is the most logical conclusion I could come to. Is it bothering you?”

“...Yeah. I just… It changes things.”

“How so?”

“...How I see everything that’s happened. I… I don’t really wanna bother you with all this, though…”

He thought for a second. Listening to her would gain her trust. He could help her. And though he did want her power, her story was rather moving. He couldn’t imagine being taken away from Ivalice for so long.

He began walking to the slope leading up.

“Come,” he invited, reaching out to her and curling his fingers. She reluctantly, and shakily, stood and followed him. “I will give you until we reach the dome to speak your mind.”

They began.

“Um,” she hummed, thinking. “Well… Like I said, my home world doesn’t have magic. It’s heard of and fantasized, but actually using it is a whole other concept. And I… I don’t know. I just can’t stop thinking about what’s going to happen now and what other people will think of me and… Stuff like that…”

_What other people think of you hardly matters unless the circumstances are influenced by such. Anxieties have no place in the world and yet they persist._

“You do worry an awful lot about trivial things, don’t you?” he asked. She looked up at him.

“Have you never heard of anxiety?” She quipped, somewhat lightly. He nodded. “It’s not exactly something I can turn off.”

“I am aware,” he said. “And I hold nothing against you.”

“It’s just… Back home, we have multiple religions. I mean, there are different religions you can choose to follow, not at the same time. Some are really similar, and some are polar opposites.”

How odd. How would that even work? That is, assuming these religions aren’t bound to one place. Vayne could understand cultural beliefs, but if anyone could choose to follow this or that… How did the world make up its mind?

“My own family is averagely religious, I guess. I’m… still figuring things out, myself, so… Being dropped into a world I’ve never heard of before and being told _gods_ did it just… Overwhelmed me, I guess. Heck, I’ve practically met two of them and… I don’t know.”

She sighed. It was understandable. Being dropped into a world by gods one has never heard of would be extremely jarring.

“Noct is going around collecting their blessings. I guess I assumed that to mean they’re good gods, right? They’re working with the king of one of the nations.”

_I suppose one could argue that._

“But now I learn they messed with… with _me._ I never asked for this to happen, and while I think everyone at some point wishes to be able to use magic… I didn’t mean like _this._ I didn’t even get a warning. I went to bed one night and suddenly I was falling.”

_What?!_

“They took you without your _consent?”_ Vayne hissed. How inexcusable…!

“Yeah, exactly. So… basically I’m just confused as to what I’m supposed to be feeling. And Materia isn’t helping. The moment she noticed I was here, she literally told me I wasn’t supposed to be here but then wouldn’t let me go home. Er, back to Eos.”

_______ sighed again.

She had been taken from her world with no warning. She had been taken from home without her _consent._ This poor woman, thrust into a modern fairy tale, and clearly without the ability to fight her way through…

Some unrecognizable feeling stirred in his chest. Someone so kind and sweet having such a sad fate… To be separated from _everything_ she had once known, her history, her family, her _home…_

“I see…” Vayne said. “I certainly understand your frustration. And being taken from a place you love dearly… The notion of being taken from Ivalice for longer than we’ve been in this desolate space sits bitterly in my thoughts.”

“I still have no idea what the Astrals want from me. Noct was taking me to see the Oracle but it’s taking so damn long… The ferry from Altissia never came, so now we have to get our own boat.”

Ah, an Oracle. So she _did_ have a plan to get home or at least understand her circumstances.

Her next sentence was whispered so quietly, that he almost didn’t hear it.

“But hey, I definitely understand your perspective on things. Maybe even agree with it, almost.”

Oh dear. She was already attached to him.

_... **Should** I use this to my advantage? After all the manipulation she’s been through already?_

“Ah, there’s the little healer,” Spiritus said as they reached the dome. “Good of you to have retrieved her, Vayne.”

“Of course,” Vayne responded.

“What a teensie-weensie little thing!” A loud voice said behind them. ______ gasped and moved closer toward Vayne, hiding.

_Despite the horrors she’s faced already, she still hides behind the powerful._

“Perhaps we could make fun use of her~!”

“I’m afraid not,” Vayne countered instantly. He did _not_ trust Kefka. At all. He also did not like how he made ______ so tense. “She is under my protection.”

“Protection?” the Cloud of Darkness scoffed. “What protection could a power-hungry consul offer?”

Vayne gritted his teeth and prepared a retort. ______ tensed even further, involuntarily sinking into him.

“Clearly you have never seen the man fight!” Garland bellowed. It was nice to see someone defending him, but Vayne didn’t much care for him either.

“And what of the girl?” Sephiroth emerged from the shadows. The way he eyed ______ did not rest well with Vayne. ______ gulped. Vayne glanced down to see her cheeks faintly dusted pink.

_So that’s how it is…_

He didn’t notice his clenched fist.

“She and Materia do not get along,” Spiritus claimed. “So I have allowed her to stay here.”

“So she belongs to the light?”

“She walks the line, Sephiroth, between light and dark. She is the gray area in the middle.”

“Whose side is she on?” someone else asked.

“There are no sides. We must all work together to bring this world from the brink of destruction.”

“Yes, but we are to fight those of the light, are we not?” Sephiroth asked.

“Then she will mostly likely fight on the side of her brother,” Vayne answered.

“Then what is she still doing here, hmm~?” Kefka inquired playfully. He lied horizontally in the air and gestured to Vayne. “Spending time with Boyfriend here, perchance?”

_With- what?_

“He- He’s not my-” I stuttered. Vayne shook his head in disbelief. “I- We’re not- Um…”

_Just spit it out. I’d rather them not make any insinuations._

“How shy she is…” Ultimecia made her entrance. “How cute…”

Everyone was starting to surround them. Panic set into ______. Her body subconsciously inched closer to Vayne’s. The room dropped a few degrees. He could feel her shaking slightly, frightened by all the chaotic beings around her. He rested a hand on her shoulder. She flinched.

“Had you seen the girl’s powers,” Vayne intervened, “you would know not to provoke her - in _any_ way.”

“Then why doesn’t she show us, then?” Garland demanded. “She fought naught when I arrived in the memory of Cornelia.”

Vayne noticed ______ rubbing her hands together, softly wringing them. They were blanketed with frost.

_Interesting. Ice for fear, lightning for anger?_

“Go on, then!” Kuja said. “Why don’t you give us a show?”

“Please…” _______ whispered. “I can’t…”

“Can you not see the uncomfortability?” Vayne argued.

“It would fare interestingly to see what both light and dark can do,” Sephiroth chipped in. The hair on the back of Vayne’s neck stood up. Someone was behind them. Suddenly, ______ jumped forward, whipping around. A chunk of ice shot out from the ground as her arm raised to control it. It missed and Kefka cackled. Her arm retracted awkwardly. Vayne sighed.

“Her magic is in tune with her emotions,” he explained. “As I said, it would be best not to bother her, especially while I am around.”

“Hmm…” Sephiroth said behind me. ______ turned around again. “She could be useful.”

“She’s a healer, you said?” Ultimecia asked. ______ stepped back. “Perhaps she could provide aid to the whole battlefield.”

Vayne thought it over. Everyone waited for his answer. It was possible. However, if she used too much of her healing abilities, she risked another bout of coughing. Still, with her other connection to darkness, it could be counteracted.

He met her gaze.

“You would have to stay close to one of us,” he said. “If the coughing begins again, we should be able to keep it at bay.”

“Okay,” _____ said in a small voice. “I can do that.”

Vayne spent the next half hour going over what he had learned in this world. Most of it pertained to _____. She was a magical marvel. While he didn’t approve of gods experimenting on an innocent woman, he had to admit that it was an interesting case. But even so… She had not been asked about any of this. No one had inquired her opinion of what was going on. She had not been allowed the freedom of making her own choices. Her life was not in her own hands.

Vayne _hated_ it.

“Consul,” a smooth, feminine voice lifted him from his thoughts. Ultimecia stood before him.

“Sorceress,” he greeted politely. “To what do I owe the pleasure…?”

“That girl, ______. Her magic is unparalleled.”

“It is.”

“You do realize it could be utilized? By _anyone_ here?”

“I do. And I will not allow that to happen.”

“You’re awfully protective of her.”

“She has been through much. This isn’t the first time she’s transferred worlds. And I promised her brother I would care for her when he is absent.”

“So you plan to take her power for yourself by gaining her trust?”

Vayne’s gaze hardened. “That is _none_ of your concern.”

“Oh dear. Do you _care_ for her?”

He glanced at _______, who was sitting against the far wall. Her knees were drawn up, arms around her legs. The image of her sitting all by herself _was_ rather pitiful…

“I don’t see why it matters,” he told Ultimecia professionally. “We are from different worlds. This will most likely be the last I see of her.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then I suggest you do something before Kuja drags her to _his_ world.”

_What?_

Vayne turned to see Kuja now approaching ______. She seemed confused at this sudden interaction.

“I don’t know what he’d do with her,” Ultimecia continued, “but it surely wouldn’t be anything _good,_ dear consul.”

Vayne shot her a cold glare. Then he went to make sure his word to Noctis wouldn’t be broken so easily by the likes of someone like Kuja.

“-rehearse with me?” the theater enthusiast was saying. ______ was perplexed.

“Re- what?” she asked.

“Practice.”

She thought it over. Vayne hoped she’d decline, but seeing as she didn’t have anything else to do, she agreed. So, he followed them down to the outskirts of the tower where a few people were still sparring.

Sephiroth was there. So was Garland. _______ did her best to ignore their glances, shrinking into her jacket and keeping her head down. Kuja’s elemental orbs spun around him eagerly as they found an open spot. ________ summoned her Elvish-named sword and awkwardly stood in place.

“Why don’t you take the first move?” Kuja offered.

“Uh…” She thought for a second. “Just like that? No rules or anything?”

_Good girl. Use your head._

“None whatsoever~!” Kuja sang. “And don’t worry - I won’t go easy on you.”

_______ shrugged to seem indifferent. Vayne could see the panic in her eyes, though. But he wouldn’t offer his assistance. He finally had a chance to see what she could do from good viewpoint.

Ithilcalad dissipated. She raised her dominant hand, fingers curling. The air dropped about ten degrees. Vayne watched with interest now that he had a proper spectator view. Snowflakes were sputtering around her. She stayed that way for a while. Had she run out of energy?

“Is that it?” someone muttered loudly. _______ smirked slightly.

“Surely she can do better,” another person said. _______ 's hand jerked. Its fingers tightened into a fist. Suddenly, with a burst of cold wind, frost and snow covered the ground within a fifty foot radius. The cold seemed to refresh her. She now looked excited, more confident. There was a burst of bright flames. Vayne struggled to see through the smoke. He watched her frame lunge at Kuja, sword in hand.

“Not bad,” Kuja commented. “But practice makes perfect.”

He launched a series of magic attacks at her. She managed to dodge most of them. Instead of taking damage from the lightning, however, she reached out and _absorbed_ it.

_Fascinating._

Her hand spat the electricity right back out at Kuja. He just smirked and darted away. She stood and aimed carefully, taking just a bit too long. Vayne nearly darted forward to stop them as Kuja lit her body aflame. Her scared and hurt cry of pain resonated in his chest. But then, the fire dissipated as _______ summoned the cold once more and frosted herself over. She rushed forward, swinging her sword thrice. Each swing had a different element attached to the blade.

It was soon a battle of physically manifested wits. The manner in which they executed their attacks was almost like a game. When Kuja shot lightning at ______, she sent it back. When she launched a fireball at him, he hit her with ice. However, the longer they continued, the more elegant and complex his attacks became.

_She requires more training, and discipline. She cannot exhaust herself in one battle or she risks being severely hurt in the next, or worse._

She became visibly exhausted. Vayne watched her frame hunch over whenever she had a moment to catch her breath. Kuja’s attacks were starting to scare her. She frantically tried to dodge them and kept sending whatever she could back at him.

Then Vayne noticed something. Strange, dark spots littered her magic. He stepped forward to get a better look.

_Is that what I think it is?_

An explosion of black matter burst forth from her body, sending Kuja reeling back. Ithilcalad lit up with inverted light. The darkness seeped through the ground and into her body. She lashed out with her sword, a roaring cry coming from her mouth. With two slashes, Kuja was nearly incapacitated. They were both exhausted.

He won, technically. ______ fell to her knees after that breathtaking display. Vayne came briskly walking over. He knelt down to inspect her. Kuja also hurried over.

_What she’d be able to do with the Mist…_

“As I thought,” Vayne muttered to himself. “Infused light into a body unused to such effects… causes darkness to be harnessed from it and from those around it.”

She met his gaze unsteadily.

“Come now. You’ve exhausted yourself, and I’d rather not have your brother out for my blood should something happen to you.”

She nodded wearily. Vayne helped her to her feet and kept a watchful eye on her in case she collapsed again.

“And to think you didn’t fight when you should have!” Garland scolded her when they neared. “You’d make a fine addition to any one of our ranks, as a recruit.”

“Sure,” she agreed mindlessly.

“She’s a time bomb waiting to burst,” Ultimecia said. “Or perhaps untapped potential. You should hand her over to someone who can make true use of her, consul.”

“And tarnish the name of my House?” Vayne protested arrogantly. “I think not. I promised her brother she’d be in my care, and rarely do I go back on my word.”

“Then I can see why she likes you.”

“Friend,” ______ muttered without thinking. “Good friend. Wants to fight gods, too.”

_Oh dear…_

“Not quite what I meant,” Ultimecia said, “but I’ll save you the embarrassment. For now.”

How embarrassing. To be accused of harboring _feelings_ for someone they hardly knew. Although, _______ was rather shy around him. He watched her for a moment for any reaction before guiding her back to the tower. She rested against the wall once more. Her eyelids drooped.

“Vayne?” she asked sleepily.

“Yes?”

“What’s happening to me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Feels like… I just ran a marathon… But I don’t live in Greece…”

“I see… Your body is most likely adjusting to the presence of dark magic. Black magic, the elemental attacks you used to combat Kuja, is slightly different. Dark magic is much more powerful, and dangerous. Joined with the light, there’s no telling what wonders you can conjure… You may be one of the most powerful beings on this planet.”

She sighed childishly.

“Do I have to be?” she pouted. “I wanna just be me.”

“I don’t believe I said you couldn’t be.”

What person would not want this kind of power? Did it frighten her? Would she rather someone else have it? Did she not know what to do with it? It didn’t make any sense to Vayne. He knew what _he_ would do with such magic, but ______ was an entirely different case. She’d probably use to help other people, be it strangers or her friends.

_________, Larsa… If only I could understand…_


	5. Into the Fray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time to summon the serpent.

“So… You're saying that… because she has too much light, she also has too much dark?” Noct reiterated for the millionth time.

“Yes,” Vayne said. How they did not grasp this, he could not comprehend. It wasn’t simple, but it wasn’t Advanced Applied Nethicite either.

“But that doesn’t make any sense. I get there needs to be a balance, but where did the dark come from? You said it wasn’t the tower, so…”

Vayne sighed.

“It doesn’t necessarily come from _anywhere,”_ he said. “The universal laws of magic are simply doing their best to stabilize what they’ve been given.”

“So the universe is doing this to her?” Noctis asked.

“Not exactly…”

“But you said-”

_“Yes,_ I am aware. As someone who possesses the darkness as well, it makes more sense to me than to those with the light. But I am _trying_ to tell you in the best way I can.”

Noctis lifted his hands in defeat.

“Alright,” he sighed. “I’ll just… ask Ignis when we get home.”

“Good plan,” ______ said.

“If that is all,” Vayne finalized, “then I shall be taking my leave.”

A portal opened behind him. He nodded to them respectfully.

“Wait, you’re leaving so soon?” _____ asked. “You, um… Mm…”

Vayne awaited any further elaboration. She looked down, disappointed. When she said nothing else, he spoke.

“I shall await your arrival on the battlefield,” he said cordially. “I bid you farewell.”

He walked through the portal. They had a bit of time before the confrontation with the planegorger. He was ready, ready to defend his home however he could. Ivalice would _not_ fall as long as he was around to do something about it. This damn snake would learn what true hell is that day. If he had to give his life while defending his home, so be it. In the meantime, he would rest his body and prepare for the worst case scenario.

A few others lingered around him. Mostly they discussed their plans and plots on their respective worlds. Plans of destruction. Plans of absolute, selfish tyranny. They all disgusted him, to be honest. To want to wreak havoc on their own homes when they should be serving them instead. They had duties to fulfill and yet they acted out the complete opposite.

Then he caught wind of a conversation.

“...’m surprised Spiritus didn’t summon her himself,” a low, female voice was saying. Vayne didn’t bother facing them lest they know he was listening. “Such power… I do not believe she knows her own potential.”

“Isn’t it pathetic?” Vayne recognized _that_ voice. An Emperor like himself, though this one was filled with greed and a greater lust for power. He did not care what happened to those beneath him as long he maintained control. “Would that I could correct her behavior. With that display she showed us, she would make a most powerful agent.”

_Those above exist for those below. ________ would never commit atrocities for you unless they were for a greater good. ...Perhaps we have that in common._

“I’d use it as I see fit. She would bow to no one but me.”

Vayne quelled the anger rising inside him. He could feel it pool in his chest. To enslave an innocent woman for such heinous purposes. Vayne understood he, himself, would consider it, but only if it really stood to benefit his already existing plans (which they did).

_To think I could also become a monster so easily…_

“I would watch yourself,” the Female Voice said. “She is surely under protection of the consul and the boy she reunited with.”

“Hmph, as if I need to be told the risks to something I will hardly need.”

_Such cowardice._

Vayne returned to his thoughts. He reviewed everything that had happened on his own world in the past few weeks. He went over the remaining steps in his efforts to rid the world of the Occuria’s influence. Doctor Cid would make for the Suncryst soon…

…________… _______ kept reappearing in his mind. Strange. No one ever usually made that much of an impression upon him. To keep his thoughts occupied for an extended amount of time was a feat in and of itself. Then again, she was an anomaly such that no one had ever seen. He wanted to know more. How did her magic respond to the environment? How far could her emotions push its limits? _Were_ there any limitations? With such an array of magical potential, she would prove useful beyond belief in his plans.

_And yet it sounds like the gods on Noctis’ world plan to use her as they see fit. Should I stoop to such a level? Manipulate her feelings and power to use as I please?_

_It is tempting. I could always ask her to accompany me back to Ivalice. She’d be safe there. Under my protection, she’d want for nothing, no threat would be able to reach her. Not even these so-called ‘Astrals.’_

_A sound plan, and yet, she may well refuse. Her bond with Noctis is strong. Her loyalty is a strength._

_All the more reason to take her with me._

_Larsa would never approve._

_What Larsa would think is irrelevant. He is not here. This is **my** decision. I **need** that power. Imagine how strong she’d be when exposed to the Mist! She would be a **goddess.** A **human** goddess to help me challenge the gods. What more could a man want?_

_It is not right._

_I have always done the unthinkable for the sake of my home, for my House. I shall continue to dirty my hands as long as I must, for the good of Archadia and House Solidor._

_________ does not have or share such duty. It is not her home, they are not her people. She would have no reason to fight for me or for them._

_And yet… it wouldn’t hurt to ask. She is helping Noctis, yes?_

_She has reason to. He saved her life and is providing her aid. I have not done as such._

_But would it kill me to ask? It would work to our mutual advantage. Surely she will see that._

_I may offer it, but I must not force her. She has been through much already. Such innocence must not be punished._

And with that, Vayne was called to rally with the other warriors.

The battle to lure in the planesgorger started off with a bang. Vayne had been hoping to clash with Noctis yet again but he was quickly confronted by a boy from his own world. He vaguely remembered that this boy was friends with his brother.

_“You,”_ the sandy haired boy seethed. Vayne understood his anger so very well. “I shoulda guessed you’d be here.”

“...The boy who rallied with my brother,” Vayne said, the name escaping him. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“You’ll pay for everything you’ve done!”

“Then by all means, strike me down if you can.”

It was a chaotic flurry of blades and fists. Vayne didn’t mind getting in close - in fact, it meant he had a better chance of winning. Sephira forced the boy back, but he was resilient and struck back fiercely. Unfortunately for him, combined with the Sephira, Vayne’s punches and kicks were more powerful than ever as they added an extra _bite_ to their master’s otherwise skilled strikes.

It ended in a temporary stalemate as the boy’s attention was called to his friends, who joined in the fight as they went up against Spiritus’ other warriors. Vayne, motivated by the obligation to protect his world, dove back into the fray to generate the energy needed. Another blond boy, whose father was on Spiritus’ side, came enthusiastically slashing at him. Dodge. Slash. Dodge. Kick. It was a dance of the damned guardians. It continued until something caught Vayne’s attention.

A large _burst_ of dark magic shot out towards a small figure fighting against someone one on one. Vayne knew that figure. He paused as he watched ________ now fighting against _two_ men she didn’t know, one of which wanted her power. The Emperor had moved in while Vayne wasn’t looking.

_Damn._

But the Ivalicean boy was still coming at him, flames in his wild eyes. Vayne was torn between taking him and rushing to _______. Running away was the same as admitting defeat. Vayne would not be vulnerable to such cowardice. He readied an attack. When the boy was close, he struck. Every punch and kick was magically fueled. He could feel the damage he was doing and then the boy went _flying_ as Vayne forced him through a collapsed window of reality, sheer force of will manifesting as an explosion of red particles.

Then he changed his course and dashed away to her aid. She was terrified, shaking and watching her opponents with wide eyes. She conquered her fear swiftly. A wall of ice shot towards the blond man to her right. Her legs carried her straight towards the Emperor. Both men easily evaded her moves. Vayne picked up speed. The men began to send their own attacks straight at her. She raised her arms to defend herself.

Vayne ran so fast he was a blur. His heart was pounding as he _slammed_ into the first blond with fists of white steel. Light flashed behind him as he took care of Opponent One. _______ had been hit. He moved to guard her.

“That is _no_ way to treat a lady,” he chastised. They should know better. She was inexperienced. How could they dare to challenge her so unevenly? “Her power is mine.”

_You may be emperor, but you are no **true** ruler._

The Emperor narrowed his eyes, choosing to see Vayne’s statement as a challenge. As the other blond man ran off elsewhere, he decided to provoke Vayne by saying, “If her power is yours, then claim it.”

_Then prove myself I will._

He made quick work of that inexcusable mockery of a monarch. With a storm of fists and fury, he drove the Emperor off until someone else came to deal with him. Chest heaving, Vayne watched him being fought by someone with a similar fashion sense. Perhaps they inhabited the same world.

Coughing came from behind. Vayne swiftly spun around to help _______. Something gave his heartstrings the slightest of tugs as he took in her uneasy frame. She looked pitiful standing in the midst of dirt and dust, so small among the towering cliffs of the broken arena.

“My apologies for my tardiness,” he said cordially in the midst of battle.

“It’s fine,” _______ croaked. “I really shouldn’t be here.”

_An understatement if I’ve ever heard one._

“No, you shouldn’t be,” Vayne shook his head, “not at your level of experience. But thus spake the gods.”

_To demand such a defenseless woman to fight… Their sins nearly outnumber my own._

A fiery explosion covered them in more dusty particles. ________ 's eyes twitched and she sighed.

“Now what?” she inquired. At that moment, Kefka spotted their open. The Urchin Boy from Ivalice and the other boy - Tidus - were still with him. Vayne nodded towards them. “At least I won’t feel bad for fighting _this_ one.”

“Hmm, I’ve been needing to kill something today,” he quipped, flexing his fingers to ready to himself.

_“Same.”_

_It would seem I have found a kindred spirit._

As ________ went for Kefka - most likely for bothering her earlier - Vayne went for the Urchin Boy. Jecht’s son joined and together the two made a decently formidable pair. The Urchin came at him with a righteous vengeance. Vayne kept his focus primarily on countering him. _________, though, worried him as she continued to battle Kefka. Flashes of magic came from where they fought. The distance between them seemed to help to her advantage. Hoping she’d call for help if she needed it, he dedicated himself to combatting the two boys, one of which hated him with all his being. And then suddenly whoever attracted Kefka’s attention aimed themselves at Vayne. With four opponents, he prayed he would make it through in one piece if not unscathed.

Just as he corrected his strategy for new adversaries, the sound of clashing swords hit his ears. Vayne’s head turned sharply to see what the noise was.

________ stood, sword in her hands, the blade glinting in the light of magic. A fierce expression rested on her face as she worked to push the Urchin back.

“Wha- hey!” Urchin called out. “I thought you were on our side-!”

“Sir,” ________ interrupted, the corner of her mouth turning up, “that is my _emotional support consul.”_

_“Your what?”_

_Her **what?**_

Vayne evaded a few attacks from the others around and switched his focus to _______ in case she angered the boy. Instead of a verbal answer, Urchin got a sword charged with electricity. Right as it clashed with his own weapon, a burst of darkness and a piecing roar alerting everyone to rise of the giant, golden serpent. The planesgorger flew up into the air, its body coiling loosely, spiralling into the air. _______ stepped back, brushing against Vayne.

The fighting amongst then came to a halt. Everyone banded together against the gilded serpent. It readied its own power, immense compared to what had been displayed by the gods’ chosen warriors. Said warriors began to huddle together to shield themselves as it readied a cosmic blast.

As the explosion crashed over them, Vayne could feel its power forcing them back like a hurricane’s winds tearing through a coastline. Then a wall of ice burst up from the ground, the perfect size to shield two people. _______’ held her arms in front of her as if to shield herself. Waves of magic energy pulsed from her very being, light and dark warring within her as she tried to hold their frozen shield in place. At the crest of the serpent’s blast, her body began to emit a black mist. She shook almost violently, from fear, from bravery, from shock, from determination.

Vayne laid his hands on her shoulders, both to ground himself and reassure her as the beast took on its mortal form and the true battle came to a head.


	6. To Be Remembered...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A farewell...

“_______!”

Noctis came sprinting over as fast as he could. The planesgorger manifested itself as a giant, winged serpent. No longer was it gilded, but the color gray wrapped around its form. Everyone regrouped before attacking. _______ met her brother with another hug as Vayne gazed up at their adversary’s new form. He didn’t like the look of it. He didn’t like it threatening Ivalice. May the call to arms come soon, that he might defend his home with all his strength.

“Thank the Astrals you’re alright,” Noctis breathed. “I’m sorry - I should’ve paid more attention-”

“Noct, I’m fine,” _____ laughed. “All thanks to Vayne, here, otherwise I’d be in _much_ worse condition.”

Noctis turned to the man in question.

“Guess I owe you one,” he said. A ghost of a smile appeared on Vayne’s face.

“Then I shall think of a colorful time to collect,” he said. In honesty, he couldn’t think of anything Noctis could do for him, but he’d keep the debt in mind for later. Just in case.

“Everyone!” Warrior cried out. We all stood at attention. “To arms!”

This time, they were not warring with each other. Now was the true time to act. With the beast lured out and lusting for more energy, more power, Vayne readied himself for another battle.

It was much, _much_ more difficult than he’d previously determined. The planesgorger was unbelievably strong. Its fierce attacks could wipe out several warriors at once, and its thick skin was nigh impenetrable. Vayne launched himself at it, swiftly ducking under the limbs it had grown. A series of well-placed punches and kicks yielded little visible damage. He copped out from being within range right as it went to bat him away. Instead, he sent out bursts of the Sephira straight at it. They cut at the snake’s hide, chipping away at its armor. It roared and lunged forward at the other warriors.

Those who used magic stayed out of the beast’s reach. Their ranged attacks did not hurt their allies, so there was no need to dodge them. Then there were the warriors who excelled in physical combat, like himself. They were up close and personal with the monster, the waves if its power sending them flying when they couldn’t get out of the way in time. Vayne veered to the right, dipping down and surging back up. His fist met the beast’s side, his swords adding more bite as they dug into it. Finally, the damage was increasing. He repeated his actions, a maneuver of the various techniques he had learned in all his twenty-seven years. They were doing well enough. Soon, the planesgorger would be dead, yes? There was no way it could possibly think to best nearly fifty gifted warriors.

_**Whomphf!** _

Something very large _slammed_ into Vayne mid-punch. The air was knocked from him as he went flying backward. Before he could right himself, a rough boulder broke his fall. Wheezing and coughing slightly, he got to his feet. There was a loud _crack_ as a tail as hard as stone came crashing down on him and a few unfortunate others. He swore his vision went black for a moment before he was standing again, letting his internalized rage fuel his motions for revenge. He had never fought something so enormous before and he was _not_ going to lose. Even if it meant forcing himself to keep going while his body felt broken.

At last, the snake was vanquished in a final beam of light generated from everyone, including Spiritus and Materia themselves. They all watched from the battlefield as the planesgorge broke into pieces and shimmered away as dust, no longer a threat. Ivalice was safe at last. For the time being…

Vayne stayed where he was, contemplating whether or not to go through with his newly formed plans. Archadia and Ivalice were now safe. He no longer had business on this gods forsaken world and its terribly governing system. As long as they left him and his home well enough alone, with how tired he now was, he might as well let them keep their existence. But they were on _extremely_ thin ice. Now he only had one problem.

________. What to do with ________. Was it possible to like someone enough to befriend them within a handful of hours? Sure, of course it was. He shall rephrase it then. Was it possible _for him_ to like someone enough to truly befriend them within a handful of hours? In truth, he didn’t know. Never before had he imagined it. He wasn’t the sentimental type. Personal relationships were not something he excelled in. Yet there was something strange about this woman he had encountered, something that called out to him. It had been the mystery at first, but now… Now he didn’t know what it was. Was it a sense of comradery in their joined efforts to conquer the planesgorger? Solidarity in general? Maybe it was the way she so readily agreed with several of his views. He had found a kindred spirit and did not want to let it go.

Then, in the very back corner of his mind, the tiniest voice of idealism that had somehow remained with him the last few years whispered: _Or perhaps it’s something more than that._

_Don’t be ridiculous. That’s completely absurd. We simply get along well, that is all._

_And yet you’ve never met someone like this before, someone so casual and spirited. Someone who reminds you so dearly of the ones you have at home._

_Again, this is absurd. I have never felt the need to be close to anyone but my dear little brother. When the time for me to find a wife inevitably comes, I shall consider it, but for now… For now, I shall remain as I am._

Vayne had always ruled himself with his mind. Or at least, that is what he told himself. He was as rational and as reasonable as a man could be. He was intelligent and resourceful, never one to take action without careful consideration. However… If you look deep, deep inside, further than any yet have dared to go, even himself, you will find a man who truly leads with his heart. He merely uses his mind to implement ways to keep what he loves safe and protected, often excessively so, but he is driven nonetheless by the things he holds dear.

_All I need do is ask her… She is too much like Larsa for me to completely ignore… And now that I have made ties with her, I cannot simply stand by and watch as gods unknown to me take advantage of her…!_

Now, where was she?

Vayne’s eyes scanned the valley everyone now rested in. _______ bounced from her brother to a young girl with green hair. With a tap, she was healed.

_Of course… She would, after all, take it upon herself to see to everyone’s healing…_

_It is endearing._

_It is unnecessary._

_It is what Larsa would do._

He turned back to his thoughts, desperately trying to convince himself that all he wanted was the power she held. When faced with the Mist, what would happen? Just how powerful would she be? And holding nethicite? There was a world of research ready to be done with such potent magic. He wanted to know everything about it. Could he use it? Could he persuade her? It was worth the task of simply asking. Would she allow him to test the extent of her powers? Would she be too frightened to? Well, sometimes a little coercion was needed.

Vayne’s thoughts were interrupted as the green haired girl dragged _______ over to him and pushed them together.

“Ah, there you are,” Vayne said. “I suppose you’ve taken it upon yourself to heal everyone?”

She nodded and poked his arm. The pain flashed in her eyes as the aches and cuts left his body feeling renewed. Her own jerked and jolted as she stepped back as though someone had pushed her. Wheezing, she looked back up at him.

“What the hell happened to you?” she asked.

“I’d prefer not to disclose the details.” It would be far too embarrassing to tell her he had been crushed by a tail.

“Uh, okay. But that felt like I got hit by a train. How are you still standing?”

“Sheer determination.”

“Nice.”

He had nothing else to say. Should he make his offer now?

She spoke first. “So, uh, I got further details on this magic balance thing-.”

_Oh?_

Someone called out her name. The two turned to see the green haired girl with a few people who looked a lot worse than Vayne and Noctis. ______ looked back to him and gave him an apologetic smile.

“Um…” she hummed, unsure of how to end their conversation.

“You can tell me later,” he told her. He was still rather curious, though. “Go. They need you.”

Once everyone was looking and feeling better (mostly thanks to _______), it was time for the gods to send them back home. Finally. Vayne had been waiting for this moment since he had first arrived. He knew _______ felt the same. Yet his time with her was running out. He’d have to make his proposition soon or he’d risk possibly losing a perfect source of power and energy forever.

_And a future companion, perhaps…?_

_That is cutting it a bit too close for my comfort._

Moogles appeared to see them off as Materia and Spiritus went back to their respective towers. The crystals they gave out would create a duplicate of each warrior so they wouldn’t have to be summoned again. A wonderful solution, Vayne thought. Why hadn’t they simply used this at the beginning?

Vayne watched as _______ marveled at the little creatures, hearing that she had never seen one before. Her home world must not be home to such sweet natured beings. Then, as Noctis bid farewell to their other friends, ______ came slowly walking to Vayne.

“So I… guess this is goodbye…” _______ said. “Or a ‘see you later’ type of ordeal…”

_There is no time like the present._

“Actually, I had a proposal for you,” Vayne said professionally. His chest felt oddly warm as he spoke. Was he… _nervous?_

“A… what?”

Her head tilted cutely in bewilderment.

“Come back with me,” he said. “To Ivalice. There, you wouldn’t have to deal with the ‘Astrals’ and we could truly determine what it is that has you in such a state. It would do well to both of us, I think, if you’d accompany me.”

There. It was done. He observed her expression morph from curious to a resigned understanding to... disappointment?

“So that’s why you’re so nice to me,” she said with a sad smile. He eyes gazed downward. “You… just want my power.”

...She read him much too easily. He wasn’t sure he liked it. But as she said those words so dejectedly, the sudden need to appeal to her rose strongly. He found that he did not want her to be sad. He did not wish to be the source of such discontent. ...In this world, it would seem he couldn’t convince himself of anything. He might as well tell both her and himself the truth.

“Perhaps at first,” he said simply, though it did not _feel_ simple in the slightest. “Our personalities fit well together, I think, and you remind me of someone, in a way.”

_You and my brother would get along famously. I cannot decide whether or not that is a good thing._

Several moments passed as she carefully thought it over. For a split second he thought she might actually agree to come with him. But that was wishful thinking. Vayne Solidor did not think wishfully. He either went for what he wanted or opted out of the matter entirely.

“I can’t,” _______ said, shaking her head. “I want to, kind of. It sounds fun, but… Noctis needs me. I told myself I’d help him reclaim his home. I’ve lost my own now, and I’d hate to see him lose his for good…”

“I see… A pity, really, but if that is your wish, I will honor it. Should we ever meet again, the offer shall still stand.”

His words were as his thoughts. He had figured as much. No matter. There were other ways of achieving his goals. Time to bid the poor woman his own farwell, that they may meet again.

He held out his hand. She stared it for a moment. Well…?

“Do you ever take your gloves off?” she suddenly asked, curious.

_Curious little thing… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to indulge someone just this once._

He slowly extracted his hand from the white gloves, making sure to be mindful of them getting caught on his arm guards.

She spoke again, catching him off guard. “I wish… I had something to give you… To… remember me…”

He blinked thoughtfully. Had he made that good of an impression on her, that she felt the need to stay in touch, in a manner of speaking? Hmm… Was there anything he had on him he could possibly give her? ...There was. It meant a great deal to him, but it had been such a long time since he and Larsa had played chess. Would it be missed? Vayne reached into a hidden pocket in his coat. He held out his hand again. On the palm, was a shiny, white, ornate rook.

“Take it,” he said. ______ blinked once.

“Are you sure? If you carry it around with you, isn’t it important to you?”

_It is. My mother gave it to me, but…_

“I’d rather you have it,” he said.

He took her hand and turned it palm up. The chess piece was placed upon it and he curled the fingers up to cover it.

“Thank you…” she said softly. He nodded. Noctis called her name. “Um, I guess I’ll see you later, then?”

“I would hope so. I wish you the best of luck in your adventures.”

“Same to you.”

_Take care of that castle for me. A piece of Ivalice goes with you, that the blood of your homeworld lives on._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is Opera Omnia!


	7. A Way Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon his defeat in Ivalice, Vayne is transported back to the world of Dissidia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING
> 
> SOMEWHAT MAJOR FINAL FANTASY XII SPOILERS UP AHEAD
> 
> PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Within the Mist, Vayne could hear naught. His body dispersed into a billion particles, the sound of the conflict around him faded out. He had done it. He had done what no man had done before: he had rid the world of the accursed Occuria, had freed humanity from the shackles in which they had been bound. He had brought divine peace upon Ivalice with only the conflict of mortals to finally resolve. He had done it. _Him._ But not just him… It had been all thanks to Venat and Dr. Cid. With nethicite, they had managed to free all of Ivalice from the grip of evil. The Suncryst had been destroyed, Vayne had taken its power, the power of nethicite, the power of Venat. All of it, rolled into one. There was now no being more powerful than him. He had become Dynast King: he, Vayne of House Solidor, was now going to be the one to unite the peoples of Ivalice under one flag. No matter the cost, he would bring peace. He would bring _final_ peace. In fact, he had already started along the path to doing so. Now he had only two more steps. He simply had to execute them. He had only to simply give the orders. He had only to rid Dalmasca of the rebellion at hand. He had only wanted to snuff it out for the good of the people. He had -

He had…

...He had been defeated. He, Vayne Solidor, had been bested at the height of his power. And what for? A sense of _idealism_ that could only come from a child? For a peace that would be short term at most if firmer hand did not hold the reins? For the musings of a familiar face that reminded him so much of what he once was, what had been stripped from him?

...Vayne had never meant to become Dynast King. A fleeting fantasy, yes, but it was what Venat willed for him to be, not his own choice. He could settle for being emperor. That was fine with him. And yet… as his body overdosed on nethicite and pumped him full of _power_ and _adrenaline,_ he thought, “Well, why not? I’m here now, aren’t I? Why not tweak the end goal just a bit?” It had been his downfall. That lust for power that had always been there to protect his family, his nation, his people. His brother. Preserving House Solidor was a must, he knew it in his heart, he was sure his brother felt the same. But that, there was the problem Vayne still did not understand. He had placed Larsa at the center of everything.

And it had cost him dearly. Everything Vayne had done was to protect his innocent, naive little brother, only for it to spiral out of control in the end and backfire in his face. He had caused Larsa to do the same as he once had. To destroy what he once loved, once admired.

_...Could you ever forgive me, dear brother?_

_...I do not deserve to be forgiven, and yet… I hold no remorse for my actions. They were necessary._

_You nearly killed him. If you hadn’t been careful-_

_I will always protect him, even if it means breaking his trust. He is too soft hearted, too kind, too trusting. He never would have survived thus far without my help. Such youth has weakness._

_“A soft heart in a cruel world is strength, not weakness.”_

Why could he not have remembered that at the end? Would that at all have changed his mind? Would he care? Or was his mind too far gone on the power of nethicite that he wouldn’t feel a thing?

_But if she had been standing there, right in front of you, would you have done something different?_

…

_...I do not like this feeling. It feels… like the Mist, but… different…_

_A drug, perhaps?_

_A hallucination?_

_Maybe my final thoughts and emotions before entering into the afterlife?_

_Am I even allowed into the afterlife?_

_Would she be there?_

_Why should I care?_

“Because even the greatest of men fall in love, yes?” That voice was not his own. “‘The higher you build walls around your heart, the harder you fall when someone tears them down.’ A quote I found studying her home world. Would you not agree that she found your one weakness and tore into it unknowingly? How would you feel to know her fate is much worse than your own, though she has not met it yet?”

_Where am I? Who is speaking…?_

“You’ll remember, my warrior. I will make sure you do. And when you awaken, you will know…

_...everything.”_

“Ah, so the one who also calls him ‘emperor’ finally awakes…”

A different voice.

“Get up. There is much to be explained.”

Vayne’s vision cleared, blinking… sleep, he supposed, away. He stood to find himself in an area of ruins. Pale grass ran around the edges of what little of the buildings remained. A peaceful, blue sky painted with clouds lay overhead. And directly in front of him hovered an eccentric man with blond hair and yellow and purple armor.

_This… **can’t** be the afterlife._

“You have been summoned by the god Spiritus,” the man said, leaving hardly any room for questions. “Though I’m sure you can remember that much about him, _Vayne Solidor.”_

...Spiritus. Yes, he remembered now. How had he not recognized the voice earlier? And this… This was the Emperor, an ‘ally’ of his in the cycle before.

“I thought our business with this world was through,” Vayne protested. “We left behind copies of ourselves, did we not? What need is there to fight now?”

“Strange happenings have begun again. Though I am loathe to submit so easily, this would deem a suitable opportunity to establish what dominion I can over this world. And you, Solidor, will help me.”

...Was this man serious? Did he truly expect Vayne to comply just like _that?_ And especially without any good information on what had happened this time around?

With a disbelieving chuckle, he replied, “I see. And just what is Spiritus wishes for us to do this time around?”

Not that he’d actually do as told by a god, but even so…

“There are anomalies called Torsions. Those following Materia seek to destroy them using the energy generated from battle. They can, however, be created by our own hands.”

He created a small one to demonstrate. It seemed simple enough. Just a bit of concentration and determination.

“And so we are to stop them?” Vayne asked. How typical.

“There is a spirit moogle leading them,” the Emperor continued, “a puppet of the gods. He may hold the key to understanding the goings-on of this world.”

“...So that is our objective. I see. I must thank you for what little information you have been able to give me, however…”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

“I will be investigating on my own terms.”

Eyes still squinting, the Emperor muttered, “Very well, then. You will, of course, come under my dominion eventually. It is simply a matter of _when.”_

The island Vayne found himself on seemed to be rather small. It was an abandoned city encased in vines and moss and surrounded by an empty field of flowers in the distance. The ruins weren’t like any he had seen before (and he had seen his fair share). Every so often (read: too often for his comfort) monsters appeared and swiftly opt to assault him in whatever ways they could. By the time he found another living hume, he was feeling a bit worse for wear but otherwise fine.

Unfortunately, he recognized a handful of the people he found. They would not take to him kindly. And yet… he needed their information. What the Emperor told him could easily be fallible and he could not take any chances. Not while his life somehow still continued.

_Have I been brought back to life? Or this is some mad coincidence where I was taken here directly after having been defeated?_

There was no way to tell.

“...Who have we here?” he asked himself aloud. It was an effective way to get their attention without causing an excessive amount of conflict. One of the Ivaliceans at the back turned to see who it was. Vayne recognized him immediately: Dr. Cid’s son and a notorious sky pirate.

“Oh please…” Balthier said, visibly annoyed. “You can’t be serious.”

The rest of his companions spun around. A sandy blond boy stepped back in shock and outrage.

“Vayne?!” he exclaimed. “From the empire?!”

“Someone from your world?” a spiky blond man said. Vayne vaguely recognized him as Sephiroth’s rival.

“That would mean _your_ Ivalice,” said another man. Vayne did not recognize him and the phrase ‘your Ivalice’ did not sit well with him.

“Next in line for the throne of the Archadian Empire,” Balthier explained disdainfully. “Here’s to hoping he doesn’t remember as much.”

 _Oh I remember. I remember rather clearly. ...I suppose this is what Spiritus meant by recalling_ everything _that happened…_

“The children who banded with my brother,” Vayne said lowly. “And the sky pirate Balthier…”

The other Ivalicean asked Larsa’s friends, “An… enemy…?”

“He was… but…” the girl trailed off.

“From the looks of it, he’s lost in a strange world,” Balthier observed, “and having a hard time of it to boot.”

_I suppose encountering all those monsters is easier in numbers._

“I have been generally apprised of my circumstances,” Vayne told them. “Oddly enough, from one claiming to be ‘emperor.’ ...Summoned by a god… to do battle for the sake of this world. As though his outrageous tale weren’t enough, he would that I submit to his authority. Naturally, I refused.”

“What’s your objective?” Cloud asked.

“I am of House Solidor. I wish only to protect my lineage and my country. Thrust into this unknown world, I have yet to discover even what I must do to preserve _myself.”_

“Vaan, would you say there’s room to reason with him?” the unknown Ivalicean asked the boy. _Reason_ with him? As if he wasn’t reasonable enough already!

“Don’t believe a word he says!” Vaan protested. “You don’t know how many people died in the wars he’s started. He used that same lip service to worm his way into my homeland and win over the people’s support.”

The girl, Penelo was much more reserved at sight of Vayne. “...He’s our foe, but… fighting here won’t do anything to bring back the dead.”

At least she was more reasonable than her friend.

“In no way do I expect this to assuage your ill will,” Vayne said calmly. “However… As I stand now, I am in need of your knowledge. The little I have heard so far was patently colored.”

They all huddled together to speak amongst themselves. Vayne allowed them time to decide what to do with him.

“...What do you think?” Unknown Ivalicean asked uneasily. “He is turned about… Were we to share the road a bit, we could exchange information.”

“Ramza, you don’t know this guy!” Vaan said stubbornly. Balthier cut his protests off.

“Nor do you,” the sky pirate said. “Solve your problems in your own world.”

“You’re _fine_ with this?!”

 _“That_ depends on his _attitude.”_ Balthier turned back to Vayne. “Well?”

“I will bear no arms and stay my hand in your battles,” Vayne said amenably. “How does that suit you?”

“Fair enough,” Cloud agreed.

“Truce, then,” Balthier continued. “We’ll take what you can tell us, too.”

And with that, Vayne joined the party. For now.

As they walked along, he received what information he needed. The Torsions were responsible for all the monsters spawning left and right. Materia had a spirit moogle called ‘Mog’ leading her warriors to dispose of said monstrosities. Mog was an enormous red flag. So far, most of the people in the group hadn’t even spoken to Materia herself and were merely following the moogle like the pawns he was most likely using them as. They had, unfortunately, been separated from him and now sought him. Vayne still needed his own objective, though. Looking into this moogle was his first priority, especially if Ivalice was in danger of otherworldly entities. But without Mog, he didn’t have much to do besides gather information.

“Oh, hey!” Up ahead were more warriors of the light. Vayne recognized the green haired girl as one of _______ 's friends. She seemed to recall him, as well, as her eyes lit up as they landed on him. She was surrounded by an odd black mage with glowing eyes but otherwise bo features and a girl with pink hair and a bow. “There you are! Any sign of Mog?”

“Afraid not,” Cloud answered.

“We did find _someone,_ though,” Ramza told them. Vayne had learned he was from Ivalice’s distant past. Fascinating, he had thought. Perhaps this would yield to be a more interesting journey than he had previously thought.

“I remember you,” Terra the green haired girl said to you. “Have you seen _______ yet? We haven’t…”

Vayne shook his head. “It is lamentable, but no, I have not.”

“Who?” Balthier asked, now slightly suspicious.

“A friend of ours!” Terra said. “She wasn’t doing too well since I last saw her… Or at least, at first.”

“From your world?”

Terra shook her head. “From someone’s else’s. Not Vayne’s, either.”

“Oh,” Vaan jumped in bitterly, “you mean the one who called him her ‘emotional support consul’?”

“Her _what?”_ Penelo and Balthier chorused. Vayne sighed.

“I had absolutely nothing to do with that title,” he claimed. Terra giggled.

“Yeah, that was her,” she said. “I hope we see her soon… I bet Y’shtola feels the same.”

They began their walk once more. There were many others to catch up to. Vayne wondered: just how many people Materia had summoned this time?

“I think I just saw someone!”

Everyone’s attention was caught.

“Think they’re the same as us?” someone else asked.

“Probably! They must be so confused.”

“Then what’re we waiting for?” Cloud asked impatiently. “Let’s find ‘em.”

As soon as they started looking, Vayne noticed and heard the sounds of someone fleeing. Whoever it was must’ve been scared by the number of unknown people now alerted to their position. There was only one person he could think of with such a temperament.

_I did promise Noctis to care for her in his absence… I suppose now is no different._

“Where’d she go?”

“Don’t know. These ruins are like a maze.”

“We shouldn’t waste time looking. She’ll come to us if she has any sense.”

“I just hope the monsters and Torsions don’t get to her first…” Terra worried. She had been one of the closest to finding the mystery person. If it was even a mystery in the first place.

“Don’t worry, Terra. They always find a way.”

It didn’t take long for the new girl to find them. They had only been walking for maybe a quarter of an hour when someone emerged from the ruins.

“Ignis?” Vayne knew that voice. “Ignis!”

He and the others swiveled around to see _______ jogging up to them, relief being wiped from her face as she slowed. A weird feeling entered his chest.

_How strange… Perhaps… Is this what it means to have butterflies in one’s stomach?_

_I cannot say I like the sensation._

“Where’s Noctis? Where are we?” She came to an awkward but abrupt halt. “You’re… not… Ignis…”

She was speaking to Balthier. Strange. Perhaps he and whoever this Ignis was looked similar?

“________?” Terra stepped forward, happy to see a friend. _______ stepped back.

“How do you know my name…?”

Vayne’s stomach dropped. How could she not remember? It hadn’t been long since they had last seen each other.

“Please don’t run!” Vivi said quickly. “We don’t mean any harm!”

_______ 's other foot joined the first. Her hands had lifted up to fiddle with each other.

“She probably doesn’t remember,” Serah said. From Vayne had learned, some of Materia’s warriors were missing their memories. Now that he understood that, had _______…? No, there was no way. Was there?

“Remember what?” ________ asked, now almost visibly shaking in nervousness. “I, um… Is this… an anime convention or something…?”

A _what?_ Goodness, no. She truly did not remember?

“Settle down,” Balthier told her. “It’s quite the tale.”

He and all the other warriors of Materia explained to her the entire story in more detail than they did for Vayne. He didn’t mind. At least now he was getting what he needed. As they explained point after after, her face contorted into an odd expression of both amusement and skepticism. It was good to know she hadn’t changed.

“And now we’re heading to the Torsion to find Mog,” Serah concluded at the end. Everyone waited to see what ______ 's response would be.

It surprised even Vayne. Her head shot back as a loud _laugh_ left her chest. She doubled over, trying to calm herself and failing. The confused tension in the group amplified to the point where it was almost tangible. Vayne could feel it in his chest.

“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” _______ finally said, waving her hands for them to stop. “Lemme get this straight - oh gosh - you’re telling me… that I’ve been taken from my home and dropped onto _one_ world… only to be taken from _there_ and dropped on _another?”_

“Um…” Vivi said. “Yes…?”

She laughed harder.

“Oh, this is _rich,”_ she hissed, laughing to cover the rage that was slowly boiling up. “Alright, so… Really, where am I?”

No one replied. Her amused smile faded quickly at the sight of their discomfort.

“You’re serious…?”

“Wish we weren’t,” Cloud said. “But that’s how it is.”

She crossed her arms. “And… what now? Am I just supposed to… join you? Because some _more_ gods decided I’m due for another impromptu world hopping trip?”

_How I feel your pain…_

“We don’t like it either,” Ramza said. “So that’s why we’re travelling together. So we can find answers.”

“Answers?” she echoed.

“Like who’s causing the Torsions and monsters to appear,” Terra said. “We could use your help.”

_______ shuffled her feet awkwardly.

“I won’t be much help, actually,” she muttered shyly. “I just learned how to use a sword and… my magic is new and still needs work… I can heal, though. That much I can do.”

_I see not much has changed at all since last we met._

“That’s fine,” Serah said. “Whether or not you can fight, we should stick together. The monsters get stronger the further we go.”

_______ sighed.

“Fine,” she breathed. “Um, but my people skills aren’t exactly the greatest, either.”

 _Correction:_ nothing _has changed since last we met._

“You’re safe with us,” Serah said. ______ nodded. Terra looked at the ground.

“You really don’t remember?” she asked her with hopeful eyes.

“Remember what?” ______ asked awkwardly, shifting to one side.

“You’ve don’t… know any of us?”

“No, I don’t think so…”

Vayne’s hopes lifted ever so slightly as she scanned over each face presented to her. She lingered on Terra and Vaan and squinted at Balthier (who apparently had the likeness of one of her companions). The light of recognition never came. He felt his heart drop. Why did it feel so disappointing for her to not remember him? Why did it almost _hurt_ to hear that she did not know him?

“I’ve never met any of you before in my li-”

Her eyes abruptly stopped on _him._ They stayed there for a handful of seconds more than the others before she moved on.

“...ife…”

She blinked. He returned the gesture. She blinked again.

_Come now, surely you can recall our… adventures._

She shook her head and her eyes glanced back to Terra. “Nope. I mean, _some_ of you look familiar, but…”

She looked down.

“My memories are all fuzzy. Like… There’s weird chunks missing…”

It was like a _dagger_ to his chest. He, himself, now reminisced in the memory of bestowing upon her a gift that most precious to him. A piece from the chess set his mother had once given to him. A castle from the very set with which he’d taught Larsa to play. He had _given_ it to her specifically to _remember him by._ And had she? _No. She **hadn’t.**_

The sting of betrayal hit Vayne just as hard as being viciously impaled by a sword and his own brother telling him to stay his hand.

_Very well, then. No matter. I shall simply have to **make** you remember. It was a good promise I made to Noctis. Whether you so like it or not, I **will** be watching over you and that chess piece. I may not be able to return home, but you, my dear… You shall simply have to take a piece of it with you for me._


	8. A Portrait of Hope and Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vayne and ______ had a private conversation. Vayne does his best to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s some symbolism and foreshadowing as to Brick By Boring Brick’s main plot at the end there~

Introducing himself to her was nearly the same as the last time. Giving her his name, he took her hand in his, raised it to his lips, and the back of her hand a soft kiss. The effect was instantaneous. She stiffened in shock, flustered and embarrassed. Vayne could hear the urchin boy, Vaan, groaning behind him. He gave him a stern look before releasing ________ 's hand. A cute pink tinged her cheeks and he smirked inwardly.

He kept a sharp eye on her as they continued on their way. It relieved him to hear she trusted these just about as far as she could reach. In fact, she seemed to even  _ judge _ her new comrades for their blind faith in the goddess Materia, claiming that it ‘seemed  _ wrong’ _ that even the only inhabitants of this world didn’t know what was going on. Vayne felt his chest swell with pride at her skepticism, but it did not last long. It took some prodding from her new friends, but they managed to weasel some information about her home world and her second one - that is, Noctis’. Eos, was it? And what few bits of information he heard rubbed him the wrong way.

He told her what he had said to the others: that it was the Emperor that had informed him of his situation. But then she said, “Another one…”

“You have one, too?” Vaan asked.

“There’s one on Eos. I’m pretty sure all the ones where I’m from died out.”

A miffed sound left Vayne’s throat. A world without empires? What sort of world did she hail from? How awfully chaotic it must be without a sovereign nation looking to keep the peace! He didn’t like the thought.

“And… you and you…”

She looked from Vaan and Penelo to Ramza.

“...are from the same world but… at different points in time?”

“Yes,” Ramza answered. “But what is familiar to one of us is not quite familiar to the other.”

_______ blinked several times.

“Alright, then,” she said, accepting without another thought. “First world hopping, then magic, then more world hopping. I’m not surprised time travel got into the mix at some point.”

“Magic?” someone asked.

“Magic doesn’t exist where I’m from. Or rather, to the majority of people, it doesn’t.”

“That’s so strange,” Terra said. “Are there no espers?”

“What’s an esper?”

Not even espers? Vayne recalled her telling him magic didn’t exactly exist on her world, but now that that settled in… It was rather odd. He couldn’t imagine a world without magic, without magic _ ite. _ Without magical energy, how did they power anything efficiently?

“Lots of people are fighting, though that’s not new anywhere, terrorism is, well, terrifying, and the government is corrupt and just changed heads and is now partially led by the worst person possible. But I won’t go into that ‘cause we’ll be here a while.”

Vayne could  _ feel _ the bitterness in her voice. He certainly understood how she felt…

“Sounds like any other world,” someone joked. She shrugged and scratched at her head.

“That’s civilization for ya,” she commented. Well, she wasn’t  _ wrong. _

“What about Eos?” Serah asked. “Is that any better?”

“Not really. My friend, Noctis, his homeland was just taken over by the empire of Niflheim. They destroyed Insomnia, the Crown City, and took this magical crystal that gives Noctis’ fam- Noct’s bloodfam- ugh… it gives his bloodline cool powers to protect their country and also the world if need be. And I was dropped right into the middle of it. You… haven’t happened to have seen him around here, have you?”

Vayne stood up straighter. It would seem he and Noctis had more in common than he’d thought, to have both come from such prestigious families with a dedication to keeping the world as best as it could be.

“Noctis?” Serah repeated. “No, the name doesn’t sound familiar.”

______ 's frame drooped a bit. “Ah, well. It was worth a try.”

“What does he look like?” Penelo asked.

“A little bit taller than me,” ______ described, “black hair, blue eyes, wears all black. He can warp, which is when he throws his weapon and magically teleports to it in a flash of blue.”

“How?” Vivi asked excitedly.

“Remember that crystal I mentioned? That’s what it does, along with other things.”

“So Noctis is a prince?” someone inquired.

“A king, technically. He needs the crystal to ‘ascend,’ whatever that means, and the empire has it now, so… We’re trying to get it back.”

“Impressive, how much you know of this world,” Vayne said behind me, “after so short a time.”

“The first thing I did was read a history book about the place. Heh, I know it better than they do at this point.”

He had to keep himself in check. More importantly, he had to keep his  _ emotions _ in check. She kept growing more and more wonderful, ticking off all the boxes in a list of things he liked in a woman. A list he didn’t even know he  _ had. _ Or at least, it had been a  _ very,  _ **_very_ ** long time since he’d thought about it. And for her to immediately seek out as much information about the new world she found herself on… That was  _ exactly _ what  _ both _ of them were doing at that very moment.

The walk to join the rest of their companions was impeded by the attack of several monsters. Vayne, of course, had sworn to stay his hand, but ______ stood awkwardly swaying and watching her new companions fight. Once they began their walk again, he noticed she tended to stay near him. She glanced at him every so often, sometimes he’d even catch her in the act.

_ … _ **_Does_ ** _ she remember? _

_ Why else would she continue to stare? _

_ You know damn well why. ...It’s rather cute. _

It took everything he had to not slap himself for that thought.

_______ and Vayne were introduced to the rest of the group once they’d caught up. A gorgeous field of flowers was laid across the rest of the island like a blanket. Vayne had never seen so many flowers before. Pinks, whites, and blues made a quaint quilt that everyone stopped to admire for a moment. _______ in particular took an extra minute to take in everything she saw. To make sure she didn’t notice him watching, he began to walk, following the various bunches of Materia’s warriors as they journeyed to the end of the island.

So far he hadn’t learned much. It was extremely frustrating that Materia herself didn’t even know much. _______ was right - it was very wrong that even the gods themselves did not know what was happening to their own world. If they were as much in the dark, why did they expect mere  _ mortals _ to figure it out? Why summon warriors to use as they please if they didn’t even know  _ how _ to use them? At the very least, Materia left her own to their own devices. Spiritus was much more controlling.

“Wha- hey! Those are mine!”

Vayne turned his head to see _______ panicking as a short haired woman examined something her hands.

“What exactly does this do-?” the strange woman said curiously. A small slab of metal and glass lied in her hands. “Ooh, it lights up!”

_______ rushed forward to snatch the device from her grip. The thief was too quick and jumped. Frost began to fan out from _______ 's feet and onto the flowers. She must have been quite worried. Vayne changed course and moved to approach them.

“Please give them back,” _______ pleaded. The thief glanced her over.

“Hmm… Nope! Finders, keepers!” she said, hopping back. Electricity sparkled in _______ 's hands. Now she was getting angry.

“Please, that’s all I have left of home!”

Vayne’s eyebrows furrowed and he picked up his pace.

“What, the flashlight thing?” the thief asked.

_ “Yes _ ,” ______ told her. “I don’t even know if I can get home. So please… I need it.”

“Hmm…”

“Yuffie,” Cloud warned. Vayne hadn’t realized he was nearby. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Mmm- fine! You can have this back!”

She tossed back the lit up device. ______ surged forward to catch it before it hit the ground. She slipped it back in her pocket. 

“But this one looks antique! If I had the whole set, I bet it’d fetch a pretty price!”

Vayne’s heart lurched. It was the castle piece he had given her.

“No, really,” _____ begged for him. “I need that back, too.”

“Where’d you get it anyway? You don’t seem the chess type.”

“I’m not. I’m horrible at it, ask anyone. But… seriously, it’s not right taking people’s things.”

“What’s this? There’s a vee on the bottom… Did you  _ steal _ this?”

“Of course I didn’t! Someone  _ gave _ it to me.”

Vayne’s heart ached.

_ How does she know? _

Finally he reached them. He stood right behind _______, doing his best to quell the anger rising within. How dare she even  _ think _ to steal just a precious artifact…?!

“I suggest you hand it over,” he growled. He sent Yuffie a very stern look with narrowed eyes and arms behind his back. She gulped. 

“Just give back what you stole,” Cloud said, sighing. “You’re outnumbered.”

“Ugh, fine!” Yuffie said, exasperated. “What’s the point of traveling with you all if I don’t get any otherworldly treasures from it? But if you want it…”

She pulled her arm back.

“Go get it!”

She threw it to the side of _______ that remained empty. With a gasp, ______ jerked to rush to it. Vayne was quicker. His hand shot out to the left and snatched it from the air. He hadn’t even noticed his heart rate pick up. That was close…

“I believe this is yours,” Vayne said, holding the piece in the palm of his hand. ______ sighed with relief.

“Thank you,” she said, taking it from him. She held it with both hands and close to her heart. “I’m not sure why, but… this means as much to me as my phone.”

_ Kill me slowly, why don’t you? _

_ Damn you, Spiritus, for feeding me these emotions. I do not need them. _

And in the very back of his mind, he heard his own voice tell him,  _ But you do want them. _

How could she look at that chess piece and  _ him _ and not remember? Did she just not care? Was she trying to  _ tease _ him? Hurt him? Tear into his heart like no other had before?

_ Mother did tell me that love would hurt… _

_ This is  _ **_not_ ** _ ‘love.’ _

_ But she did not say  _ **_how much._ **

Guarding his feelings, he built yet another wall around his heart  _ and _ his mind. Hopefully she would not find a way through  _ this _ one. Taking a final look at her, he said neutrally, “I’m sure it does.”

And with that, he walked away.

“She really likes you, you know.”

Vayne turned to see the green haired girl, Terra, speaking to him. Her eyes were filled with a hopeful sorrow.

“I miss her, too. I wish… I wish she remembered…”

“Forgive me,” Vayne moved himself to face her properly, “but I am not entirely sure as to what it is you are insinuating.”

Terra huffed, clearly unsatisfied with him. “You should talk to her! Out of all of us, she liked you the most… Maybe… Maybe you can help her to remember! I’m sure she feels all alone without Noctis.”

“It was never my intention to leave her by herself.”

“Then why don’t you  _ talk to her? _ It’s obvious you like each other!”

Vayne took a small step back. “I-I beg your pardon?”

_ You stuttering  _ **_fool._ **

“See?” Terra gestured to him and then placed her hands on her hips. Vayne narrowed his eyes. “You care about her! Y’shtola and I do, too, but… It was  _ you _ that made more of a difference! I don’t think she’s taking this well on her own…”

Her head turned to where _______ was wandering about the flower field on her own. She wasn’t smiling. If anything, she looked utterly lost. He didn’t blame her. To be placed on yet another world… Perhaps her friend was right. She was a nervous, frightened soul. She needed help adapting and yet… It didn’t feel right. He was there for her  _ protection, _ not to be her field guide. He could not provide the assurance and lighthearted friendship the others could. It was not in his nature.

He shook his head. “She would most likely be more comfortable spending time with those who are more…  _ open _ , warmer, more welcoming. I have merely sworn myself to her protection, nothing more.”

Terra pouted. “You can try to hide your feelings all you want, but I can see  _ right _ through you! Fine! I’ll make her talk to you instead!”

“You are certainly welcome to try.”

“I will! She’s been curious about you anyway. I’ll give her a push! Just give me a few minutes!”

She left in a brisk walk, determination and purpose written all over her face. Vayne sighed, hands on his hips.

_ Staying here is beginning to be more trouble than it’s worth… But I need to find that moogle. I have a feeling all my answers lie with him… _

A short distance away, a small forest lied on the coast. It would be a better place to be alone with his thoughts, without all these interruptions. With a small sigh of resignation, he began the small trek across the field. He barely registered Terra and a girl with a long, brown braid leading ________ in that same vicinity. They situated themselves amongst the flowers. Vayne did stop shortly at the sight. Someone he cared deeply for in such beautiful scenery… He needed to commit her awed expression to memory. How innocent…

_ Get it together, man. You are not here for a holiday. There is  _ **_work_ ** _ to be done. _

_ There always is… Am I not allowed to simply admire my surroundings? _

_ You are doing  _ **_more_ ** _ than admiring your surroundings. You are admiring  _ **_her._ ** _ She is a  _ **_distraction._ ** _ Move along. _

He forced himself to keep walking, to tear his eyes away from the lovely view that was her curious face. He damned Spiritus again for giving him more than the memories he needed to continue. Vayne remembered everything, including his unending curiosity of one alien woman. Was this a joke? Some jest made at his expense? To force into him these feelings and set him loose into a world where he knew he could return home and where she did not remember him?

His brisk stride reached the forest’s edge in record time. It was as breathtaking as the field of flowers. Lush, green foliage filled the space between the light and airy trees. The canopies let sunlight stream in, filtered yet heavenly. Vayne slowed to a leisurely stroll. A peridot grass blanketed little area surrounded by the thin trees that grew thicker as the forest itself went inward. It wasn’t quite what he’d call a clearing but a small alcove lined with berry bushes. He moved to inspect them more closely.

_ Where did they say the spirit moogle was? Lost in an airship crash? And yet they hardly seem to be searching for him… _

_ That means they trust him enough to leave him to his own devices. That is worrying… How do they truly  _ **_know_ ** _ this creature can be considered a friend? Simply because it  _ **_claimed_ ** _ to be working for the goddess? Is there no proof? No evidence? Do they follow him  _ **_blindly?_ **

Small, dark berries decorated the bushes before him. He knew blueberries, raspberries, all manners of nature’s tiny, colored sweets and yet, black ones he had not seen. He didn’t dare taste one, but that did not mean he wasn’t curious.

_ Darkly colored, a warning, perhaps? And yet under the illusion of sweetness, one could easily be deceived… _

Soft footsteps alerted him to someone’s presence. He continued the facade of inspecting the alcove they were in. The quiet crunch of the grass under their feet meant they were either trying to sneak up on him or didn’t mean to disturb him. Or perhaps they were timid. Maybe all three at once?

Vayne let them approach, his right hand hidden from them, curling into a fist just in case he was no longer welcome amongst those of Materia. His gaze slid from the berries to the ground. It traveled along the forest floor until it hit two feet and glanced up.

His heart stopped for a moment. He had been expecting an adversary, not a  _ goddess. _

“Uh, hi,” ______ said quietly, looking to the side. He nodded his greeting. “Um, so… ah… hmm…”

He maneuvered his body to face her properly. Her general way of dressing was nothing special, casual. But it was the air of the forest that gave her a sudden, new beauty. Sunlight shone on her face at the perfect angle, highlighting every lovely feature she possessed. A particular sunbeam made her hair glisten like sunlight shimmers on the ocean, and there, perched on her head, was a crown of blue and white flowers. It had been masterfully crafted, an adornment fit for the queen of nature, the angel of mercy.

Vayne swallowed thickly.

“Can I help you with something?” he managed to ask with a steady voice. Her vision flitted to his face, and she tilted her head in nervousness.

_ My dear, you needn’t be so frightened of me. _

“Um, so I…” She licked her lips, and he watched and hated himself for letting his gaze linger there longer than it should have. “I heard you could… That you could tell me more about Spiritus and his… people.”

“And why would you want to know about that?” Back to business. He needed to clear his head. “You are one of Materia’s warriors, yes?”

“Ah, well… I don’t exactly know.”

She  _ didn’t? _

“I just kinda woke up here, so… I’m just trying to make sense of everything. And I’ve gotten one side of the story, so I’d like to hear the other. Not to mention I’m not really much of a warrior…”

_ Do not doubt yourself. _

“Mage, then,” he corrected. “As for Spiritus, he wishes for us to do his bidding, follow his will without much question. I’d sooner die than acquiesce to such a god, or  _ any _ god, for that matter.”

“But what does he  _ want? _ Does he want the Torsions to stop?”

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t spoken to him directly quite yet. I plan to, but for now, I am in need of more information, much like yourself.”

She sighed, her arms falling to her sides helplessly. “This is ridiculous…”

“Oh, I agree.” Her skepticism of the gods spoke to his very  _ soul.  _ “Once I have it all figured out, I will take action.”

The conversation fell silent. His attention returned to the bushes once more. If he continued to look at her now immaculately decorated form, he would lose his mind. He could not have that. Vayne Solidor does not get lost in such trivial things such as  _ love.  _ He  _ refused _ to let these feelings win.

She gazed at the berries, too.

“We had these in my backyard,” she said with a sad smile. “Or rather, they were in a forest in my backyard. We’d pick them in the summer when they were ripe, wash ‘em, and then my mom would make blackberry cobbler.”

...There was an odd thickness to her voice. A sort of homesickness he was beginning to feel

himself. And yet… her eyes held a sorrow he could not comprehend. Both they and her words were backed by subconscious nostalgia, the likes of someone who knew they could not return.

“You speak in the past tense,” Vayne observed. Had she finally learned of her fate? That was the one thing Spiritus had  _ not _ filled in for him. Was that supposed to make him even more curious? That he would stay with her to know what had happened?

“Well, we don’t really do it anymore,” _______ explained. “And besides… I got transported to Eos, so… No idea if I can go back.”

“You have my condolences.”

She shrugged. “Thanks, I suppose.”

Another bout of quiet followed. In the corner of his vision, he could see that her eyes were trained on the bushes. He let his own glance over to her. Her smile had faded. He didn’t like it. She should not have to feel pain such as that of sadness.

She looked at him and he turned gis attention back to the bushes. Hopefully she did not notice he had been staring. How utterly rude of him…

_ At least that answers my question of whether these berries can be eaten or not. _

Several more moments passed in a solemn yet comfortable silence. Not even Vayne knew what to say. She had already said that her memories were missing. As much as he would’ve liked to ask her what had happened since they had last met, he knew he could not. So what should he say? That had they had met before? That he knew her brother when no one else here had seen him?

_ Should _ he tell they had met before?

_ No. No, it would confuse her even more. I would not want her to think I’m taking advantage of her missing memories. That would be cruel, especially if I have no reason to do so. _

But she asked  _ for _ him.

“Why do I feel like I know you?” she said softly. Vayne’s eyes came to lock with hers. “I… I mean, you’re not the only one… Terra is really familiar, too, but… I feel like… I know you the best…”

That did not ease his heart’s aching. If anything, it made it worse. To hear she  _ felt _ like she should know him but  _ didn’t…  _ What sort of sick, twisted world was this?

“One could argue that you do,” he said, shoving his emotions into a closet. “But we hail from worlds over, two different locations. How could that be?”

_ It would be best to take care of things using the circumstances we have now and not what used to be. _

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” she said, frustrated. “But my memories are shot. There’s so much missing that I… I don’t know what to believe.”

“Do you believe the gods’ words to be truth?” Vayne asked. How much had she changed?

“Uh… I don’t know. From what I’ve heard, they know as little as we do, so color me unimpressed, at least.”

He huffed a slight laugh. Clever girl. She did not know what to believe and so she sought out the answers herself. A woman after his own heart.

“Um… Are you… planning to break away from the group?”

Now that was an odd question. He quirked a brow. “Perhaps. Once I have all the information I need.”

“Can… Can I… come with you?”

_ What? _ Why on  _ Ivalice _ would she want to do that? Did she not trust her new friends? Was it their mostly unwavering faith in Materia and this ‘Mog’ they seemed so fond of?

“Would you not feel safer among the company of your companions?” he asked. She tilted her head awkwardly.

“Well…” She swallowed. “I don’t actually know any of them, and… I feel really out of place most of the time. But if you don’t want me to, just say so. I’ll understand.”

He paused. Those were valid concerns. She had found herself on yet another world she didn’t know. It was natural for her to lean on those she felt closest to, and if that closest person was  _ him, _ as she had stated, then…

“I shall consider it,” he said. She perked up and smiled. He ignored his heart skipping a beat at the happiness and hope glistening in her eyes.

“Thank you,” she said. He nodded. And then someone screamed. She jerked her head to the left in the direction of the scream. It came again. Then she looked to Vayne, who returned the gesture, and then back to the forest. With one last glance at him, she bolted off into the woods as another shout reached the sky. Her flower crown lie on the ground now, broken as she rushed to another’s aid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D


	9. Times of Inevitable Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vayne finds his objective.

A moment passed before Vayne set off after her, though more slowly. Whoever was in trouble would most likely be followed by others of Materia’s ever-growing band of soldiers. Even so, Vayne was rather curious to see what actions _________ would take. After their last meeting, he had figured she would be hurrying to heal whoever might be hurt. If she did not remember the counter to the pain and coughing that occurred when she overstepped her magical boundaries… He feared she might end up hurting herself again.

He picked up his pace as her figure hid itself behind bushes and trees. She was moving too quickly for him to keep an eye on her. The sunlight streaking down hit his eyes and he squinted. There she was, nearly out of sight. He sped up to catch her.

Both of them burst through the trees into a clearing. A giant Behemoth snarled at two young children, who had their own attacks ready and waiting. While Vayne stopped to assess the situation to see whether he should help or not, _______ took one look and rushed forward. Her body forced its way to line up with the little ones. Her arms pulled back like she was getting ready to push something and then thrusted forward quickly, fingers curling slightly. Great spikes of ice shot up from the ground, piercing the beast. Spurts of red stained the tips of the spikes. The Behemoth roared loud enough for them all to cover their ears. The beast was stuck on the spikes long enough for a few other warriors to come bursting in and kill it off.

Vayne stood utterly frozen in awe.

_By the gods…_

He had not been expecting _that._

_Did she not say she couldn’t fight? Did she lie?_

Her arms fell to her sides limply. She swayed back and forth, as a sailor who has just returned from seas would. Vayne mentally shook himself out of the trance he was in and approached her swiftly in case she collapsed.

“Very impressive,” he said. She jumped and then laughed at her own fear.

“Oh, uh, thanks,” she breathed. “I panicked.”

“Your magic is in tune with your emotions. That makes for rather potent spells in the right situation.”

“Yeah… I once skewered a quetzalcoatl with elec- eleclec- electrilec- ugh… e-lec-tri-cally charged ice.”

 _Did she say a_ **_quetzalcoatl?_ **

Vayne’s eyebrows lifted with interest.

“A quetzalcoatl?” he asked. She nodded, still swaying.

“I passed out afterward, though,” she explained. “Woke up hours later in a panicked state.”

_Well, of course you did. I’m beginning to wonder if that urge to heal stems from a sort of protective nature. To charge at a beast such as a quetzalcoatl… By the stars, what were she and her friends doing near one of those?!_

“Interesting…” He thought aloud. “I assume your body isn’t quite used to the effects of magic, yet?”

“Nope, not in the slightest for larger outputs.” She brought a hand to her head. One of her feet fumbled for better footing. 

“________, are you alright?” someone said behind them. Vayne turned to the dark knight Cecil. “You look exhausted.”

“I’m not quite used to large portions of magic just coming from nowhere,” ______ tried to explain. He nodded. “My world doesn’t have magic, so I’m still getting used to it.”

The hooded black mage and a small, purple haired child came running over to thank her. Vayne watched with amused fondness as she awkwardly complimented their own magic and made a few snowflakes for them. Then they ran off to join some of the others. The friendly smile she adopted for them fell.

“I think I’m gonna pull a Rip Van Winkle and sleep for a hundred years,” she said yawning.

“A… what?” Cecil took the words right out of Vayne’s mouth.

“Just this… story from home about a man who fell asleep under a tree and slept for so long that when he woke up, he was an old man and everything had changed.”

_How strange yet intriguing, just like you…_

“I can’t remember the details, but it sounds pretty nice right about now. ...Do we… have time for that?”

“Perhaps,” Cecil said. “We’re due for a real break, anyway. I’ll let everyone know someone needs to stop for a bit.”

“Thank you.”

As Cecil left to escort the children back to the group, _______ gazed around the area and found a nice spot under an oak tree. Vayne followed slowly behind. She slipped her jacket off and dropped to the ground. She then used her coat as a pillow and lied down on the roots. Vayne lifted his nose.

“Are you sure the dirt and roots are where you should be napping?” Vayne asked, very perplexed and slightly disgusted.

“I’ve had worse.”

It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. Vayne wondered how much of a toll her magic took on her to put her to bed so quickly. Did it hurt her? Or was that just her healing magic? She didn’t _look_ to be in pain… The more he got to know her, the more Vayne felt like she’d be the type to hide her own suffering so long as she didn’t bother anyone. ...Not a pleasant trait at a second glance. She had darted straight into battle as soon as she saw what was going on. And now here she was, lying on the forest floor. There was no cover, no shelter, nothing to shield her from harm should it come her way. Did she have no sense of self preservation?

_And I suppose that leaves me with my work cut out for me. If I’d known what a handful she would be…_

Still, it was absolutely, unconditionally rude and disturbing to _watch_ someone whilst they slept. Vayne decided it would be best to leave her here and grant her her privacy. It didn’t rest well with him, practically abandoning her to whatever monsters might come by, but… What would she say if she awoke to him standing there? What would she think? What would she _do?_ It was entirely ungentleman-like and he hated himself for even _considering_ staying. He needed to get out. He needed to clear his mind. He wouldn’t be able to do that with her around.

And so, Vayne spent the next hour combing through the forest to look for monsters and listening in on Materia’s warriors’ conversations for any information he could use to his advantage. The boy from Ivalice, Vaan, tailed him half of the way. Once they breached the treeline, Vayne noticed most of the large band of warriors was gone; only a few stragglers remained. He honestly couldn’t remember the names of some of them. There was Vaan, a man from the Emperor’s world, the other Ivalicean, Ramza, and a king - Edgar, if he recalled correctly. He paid them little mind as he climbed a small hill to overlook the gorgeous field of flowers.

Vayne closed his eyes. A gentle breeze swam by, hitting his armor and tickling his skin. It felt freeing. He had emerged from the thick forest and into a world of fresh air, liberated from dead leaves and small twigs, from things falling into his hair that would be impossible to untangle later.

There was much to do. Yet, none of it was possible without the information he needed. And it seemed as though Materia and her chosen did not have the answers he sought. What a setback… How was he supposed to know what to do if even the damned gods themselves didn’t?

Footsteps crunched the flowers behind him. Vayne waited patiently, wondering who would dare approach him. Vaan, perhaps? He wouldn’t be surprised.

“I hear you’re from an imperial family.”

That was not Vaan.

“...You’re nothing like the emperor from my world.”

Ah, yes, Vayne knew that voice. “The Palamecian Emperor, was it? And as here, he visited tyranny upon your world.”

“He used monsters to conquer neighboring lands. He’s an emperor consumed with avarice. No people should be subjugated. He built an army to obey his every whim...and used it to rule the world.”

Vayne’s skin itched. Nobles filled with greed to consume more and more… It sounded an awful like the Senate. And using _monsters,_ of all things? If he could not win the people’s support to rule and had to resort to such things, he did not deserve to rule, especially not in such a crass manner.

“Somewhat hard to forgive, wouldn’t you say?” Vayne finally turned to see Edgar speaking. ________ was standing a bit further away than everyone else. At least she had awoken unharmed. “You strike me as a different sort, though…”

At the very least, Vayne was making a fairly good impression on everyone but the other Ivaliceans. After all, they had personal grudges against him. The people here did not have such experiences.

“He occupied my home,” Vaan spoke up frustratedly. “The empire makes nothing but war.”

Vayne sighed. “The censure of an opponent’s citizenry leaves no room for retort.”

He saw ________ nod to herself. No one else seemed to notice her just yet. There was a lightness in his chest at her approval. He stood taller.

“...But in the interest of one’s homeland,” he continued with a new confidence, “there come times when conflict is inevitable. Such is the position of a sovereign.”

“Understandable,” Edgar agreed. “As king, I was responsible for breaking the superficial alliance with the empire in my world, and engaging in hostilities. I can never lose sight of the innocents sacrificed to the ravages of war by my decision.”

 _Hmm…_ _Sentiment… I suppose that is where our differences begin. The necessary atrocities I commit are for the better. Though the guilt would_ _bear down on me, I must look past them. For Archadia. For House Solidor._

But he could not say that aloud. ________ had entered a state of deep thought. He briefly wondered what she was thinking about. Nearby, Ramza spoke solemnly.

“Is royal birthright all one needs to take the lives of others in one’s hands…?” he asked himself. Vayne felt a need to correct him.

“The emperor of Archadia,” he said matter-of-factly, “is appointed by her people. Blood does not decide all.”

Everyone but Vaan seemed impressed and intrigued, including ________. His words had pulled her briefly from her thoughts. His back straightened even further. Never had his posture been so perfect, and that was saying something.

“That, too, must make for a difficult line of succession,” Edgar said. “After all, you need the people's support.”

“What way with words I do possess is thanks to that,” Vayne said amicably.

“A far better system than the Emperor’s brute force,” the young man from that tyrant’s world agreed. As Edgar rejoined Ramza and Vaan, who looked solemn and irritated respectfully, Vayne took notice of _______. She was still lost in her own mind, one hand holding her elbow while the other tapped at her chin. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration.

_How cute…_

Suddenly she perked up and muttered something triumphantly to herself. A pleased expression settled on her lovely features but faded into apprehension when Edgar asked her what she had just said.

“Oh, uh…” She shifted awkwardly. “Si vis pacem, para bellum…?”

Vayne’s heart leapt in his chest. She knew Ancient Archadian?! But how?!

“What does that mean?” Vaan asked curiously.

“‘If you want peace’,” Vayne translated, his voice somehow steady and not as intrigued as he was feeling, “‘prepare for war.’ A fitting phrase for the conversation.”

Vayne was beyond impressed. Not only did she know a language from _his world_ , but she knew enough of it to have memorized a saying from it. Though, it _was_ rather simple and translating it wasn’t difficult... Still, it was relevant and pleasantly unexpected.

“So, uh, where is everyone?” ________ asked. “I didn’t… actually pull that Rip Van Winkle, did I?”

He shook his head. “They are ahead. I offered to stay here and wait for you.”

She seemed puzzled by that, but he did not comment further. If she didn't remember him (he ignored the slight pain in his heart), then there was no need to talk himself into a hole.

“And I didn’t trust him,” Vaan said, crossing his arms. “There’s no telling what he’s up to.”

“And I decided to stay with Vaan,” Ramza said.

“Firion and I were stragglers,” Edgar explained. “The flowers are especially lovely in the sunlight, wouldn’t you say?”

“I guess?” ________ said awkwardly, not catching the man’s flirtation. She gave Vayne a small smile. This time he ignored the swelling in his heart. “Thank you.”

He bowed his head to acknowledge me.

“What were you even doing?” Vaan asked her. “You were all alone.”

“Sleeping,” she answered simply.

“You were _sleeping?_ All alone? In a _forest?”_

He turned to Vayne.

“And you were going to _watch her?”_

“Of _course_ not,” Vayne huffed indignantly. “I would never do something so unbecoming. I said I would _wait_ for her, not watch.”

“Uh, I appreciate it,” _______ said, more awkwardly this time. “Seriously, I do. It’s sweet, but, uh… Can we… not argue? I just woke up and you’re kinda making me nervous…”

“Sorry…” Vaan said sheepishly. He gave her a pained yet concerned look. “It’s just… this is the second time you’ve… trusted him. It’s weird.”

“Second?”

“Uh, oh, right… You don’t remember.”

“What am I not remembering???” She looked to Vayne to answers. He just shook his head at Vaan. “Hello?”

“She should remember for herself,” Vayne said. Vaan sighed.

“It is for the best,” Ramza told him. “She’s not the only one with missing memories. Perhaps it would better for everyone to remember at the same time. Then we can piece it all together.”

“They’re over there,” Firion said suddenly, pointing over the hill. “C’mon, let’s go!”

Vayne gave her one last glance before following Firion. He wanted to stay with her, but he needed to keep up his air of detachment. He walked slowly, though, so she could keep up.

Reaching the small crowd Materia had gathered didn’t take long. Vayne realized just how many more of them there were. It was an almost frightening amount and would be to anyone else. However, as ________ came up behind him to join the group, he noticed one of people Spiritus had summoned during the last cycle.

_I should have guessed she’d be here, as well as all of my other… ‘allies’..._

“You’ve finally arrived…” Ultimecia said smoothly, “to this deceitful garden…”

“Who’s the deceitful one here?” Squall countered.

“Seifer,” a young woman said. “Where?”

“The sorceress’ knight,” the witch said, “fulfills the sorceress’ wishes. He is her shield, and preserves her life.”

“Like Gladio,” _______ muttered.

_Was that not who she mistook me for before?_

A blond man in a white coat came walking up behind the sorceress. A moogle followed him. That must be the one they called ‘Mog’.

_Finally. The centerpiece of this whole charade. I must simply assess what it is that it does and how it interacts with others._

A dark energy pulsed faintly from the moogle. Vayne could feel it through the Mist that was latched onto the Sephira. 

“What the hell is this?” the blond man said furiously. “Why is the disciplinary committee threatening the sorceress?”

“We got reasons, ya know?” a young man with a similar uniform told him.

“I don’t want to hear excuses!”

“You’re the one who asked,” Vaan said. “What a pain in the butt…”

“I’ll say…” _______ crossed her arms.

“Is battle our only option?” Warrior of Light asked. “With Seifer, too, now?”

“We can’t let Ultimecia exist here,” Squall said. “She’s no better than your Garland.”

________ turned her head in shock.

“What does garlic have to do with this?” she whispered, extremely confused. Vayne suppressed a chuckle.

“Garland is my own rival,” the Warrior answered. Before he could continue speaking, Seifer cut him off.

“Cut the slander and bring it on!” he challenged. “All of you! Traitors, too!”

________ jumped behind Vayne.

“No thanks,” she squeaked. “I’m good.”

... _So even now she trusts me to protect her…_

A rising sense of righteousness and protectiveness washed over him. He shifted to further shield her.

“You can tell his stance on the matter,” Squall said. Everyone jumped into battle positions. Vayne kept his position in front of ________.

“That sadness…” Ultimecia said, “anger… hatred… loneliness… All shall be assimilated and flow into the dimensional algorithm.”

She lifted her hand.

“Do battle, children of destiny. I, too, shall join you.”

Vayne took the opportunity to observe the people who would soon become his own opponents. It was best to let Ultimecia weaken them first. Once the victor was decided, he’d abscond with the moogle. Something was not right with it and he was determined to find out _what._

_“Can I… come with you?”_

He still needed to make a decision. As he caught her from rushing into battle, he made note that if left alone, she may find herself in over her head. What would happen if she took to healing others in bulk? Should the coughing begin again, no one would know what to do. And if Noctis showed up, also without his memories…

 _And why shouldn’t I keep her? I_ **_am_ ** _the one she is closest to._

It was a selfish desire, he knew that. But he couldn’t risk anything happening to her. What if she hurt herself? What if someone else hurt her? He knew some of Spiritus’ other warriors were interested in her power. If it seemed like he had already claimed it, he could protect her further.

_And what if she falls for another man whilst I am away?_

He locked that thought away as quickly as it had come. It was the last thing he needed to think about right now.

Ultimecia fell to Materia’s band. Vayne struggled not to roll his eyes. That _was_ what happened when one let their emotions rule them. She still stood, though, her so-called ‘knight’ on his knees in front of her.

“Is this knight…” Ultimecia scoffed, “spent? Useless man.”

Her back was to them.

“I am through with you. I will see you children again… in the Dimensional Labyrinth.”

Dimensional Labyrinth? Was that where they were congregating once the moogle had been captured?

“Wait!” Seifer called after her. “I… I caught the Moogle like you asked!”

_How pathetic._

“Kupo?” Mog asked. He was hovering next to Vayne. The perfect oppotunity. “What are you talking about, kupo?”

________ was bewildered by the moogle’s appearance. It was… cute, almost.

“I could finally meet back up with everyone, kupo! You’re a lifesaver! Thanks for helping me out, kupo!”

He turned to _______.

“And you all found ______!”

She squeaked, hiding further behind Vayne. He felt himself stand a bit taller. She would _always_ be safe with him.

“Wow, that's a ton of strong light coming from her, kupo! The most I’ve seen yet! ...But also a ton of dark, kupo…”

Something… strange welled up inside him. His heart swelled. The thought of such a powerful being, so innocent and timid… So… _bent_ on being protected, and by him of all people. She _trusted_ him. This woman who had no _idea_ of her own power _trusted him._ It was… It was…

Vayne gulped. His heart wasn’t the only thing that felt in the mood to _swell._

“What’s happening?” Seifer distraughtly asked himself. “Aren’t I… the sorceress’ chosen knight?”

“Seifer…” Fujin tried.

“Don’t you come near me! I can’t stand _traitors.”_

“...You don’t even have faith in your friends?” Squall asked in disbelief. ______ detached herself from Vayne. His heart sank and he ignored it.

“And you don’t remember what happened back in your world, right?” Vaan asked Seifer. “...This is getting kinda sad.”

“Who created these circumstances…?” Vayne asked himself.

“I know, right?” _______ agreed quietly. “What kind of world is this?”

 _One where we forget those closest to us…_ _Where our memories are taken away, where we are forced to act despite any protestation…_

_And who leads them? Materia? No, she stays in her dome, not even bothering to speak to her own chosen._

_That is, if she’s even leading them at all._

Vayne’s arm shot up to target Mog.

“Kupo?!”

“He’s got Mog hostage, ya know!” Raijin exclaimed.

“You said you’d stay your hand!” Vaan argued.

“Are you blind to your own situation?” Vayne reasoned. “This moogle uses gods’ names to manipulate men as though they were game pieces.”

“Mastermind…?” Fujin trailed.

“Are we supposed to cut him down on your say so?” Squall asked.

“I have just found my objective,” Vayne answered. “First, to break free from the fetters of these ‘gods’.”

“Revolutionary,” Fujin said.

“Help me, kupo!” Mog pleaded. “I’ll tell you anything you want, kupo!”

He glanced at _______. She stepped back from the moogle, looking from him to Vayne and repeating that several times.

“I…” She didn’t know what to say. But did she know what to _do?_ Vayne prayed she’d make a decision this time around.

“He’s hiding more than you realize,” Seifer said. They glanced at him. “Let him go… I need to pay him back, too.”

“Hand over Mog,” Squall said. Everyone but ________ took a fighting stance. She stepped back again. Vayne took one look at the warriors readying themselves to take him on. He had seen them fight Ultimecia. He knew he would do much better. He was ten times better than that vile woman. His gaze fell back to _______.

“______,” Vaan said. “Mog said you have the most light. You can stop him!”

“...Why?” she asked, frightened and shaking. “I hardly know anything about that… What is it, again?”

“Don’t you have moogles on your world?” Squall asked.

“No?!”

That certainly explained her confusion as to what was going on. 

Vaan sighed. “She’s going to side with Vayne. Again.”

“Hold on. I’m not- I can’t even-!”

“It seems we are at an impasse,” Vayne said. “So strike at me. Evince the power to claim your path!”

“You asked for it!” Vaan growled. He glanced at _______. “And you better not heal him…!”

She remained conflicted, unsure of who to assist. Vayne didn’t know how he’d react if she sided with Vaan. Though, he had a feeling she wouldn’t.

The battle began.

“It is the right of the powerful to hold the reigns of the future!” Vayne declared.

“Balderdash!” Ramza said back. “That’s just a sophist’s excuse for might makes right!”

“Don’t waste your breath on him!” Vaan said. “We’re past the point of talking!”

Vayne’s memories flashed back to the battle on the Bahamut. Larsa was not here. He wouldn’t have to hold back this time. His lips curled up into a smirk as he let Materia’s warriors strike first. Vaan came rushing, swinging his sword as hard as he could. The Sephira met him head on, knocking him balance. As Vayne’s fists moved in flashes, his Mist-infused weapons shot over the entire battlefield. He commanded them to strike anyone who wasn’t him, the moogle, or _______.

Vaan readied himself to strike again. Vayne shoved someone off him with a well aimed punch and sent a mach wave through the ground. The boy dodged it and swung. Vayne grabbed a sword from the air and blocked him. He pushed him off and lashed out, grazing him. Vaan growled and tried again. Vayne sidestepped him and readied Force of Will. The Sephira aided him in adding that extra bite to each punch and kick. Oh, how he loved the rush of _power._ It was _intoxicating._

Monsters and manikins had spawned around the field, keeping the other warriors occupied. How convenient, Vayne thought, and he let them continue to be occupied as Vaan and a few others banded together against him. He readied the Sephira. When they lunged for him, he was ready. His swords lashed out, shooting through the air like missiles. Only a few managed to miss their targets. He grabbed one from the air again and lifted it high up. The light branched out from it and soon he found himself bearing down on those who defied him.

It was a difficult war. So many people against one man. He didn’t care, told himself it didn’t matter. Blow after blow they struck him. He endured every one. He lashed out where he could, targeting those from Ivalice. Perhaps if he felled them the others would reconsider. They did not, however, and Vayne found himself in a world of pain, fighting for his life and to prove his suspicions about the moogle correct. Still, his strength was waning as the battle went on. There was only so much he could do against so many opponents. He was only a man, after all, only human. The Sephira had their nonexistent hands full and he only called them to him to form the Tree. That was one of his better decisions, letting them roam as they pleased. He cut down more enemies that way. In the end, only a handful managed to force him to his knees.

It was a tad embarrassing, so confidently challenging them and losing so swiftly. Most of his embarrassment rested on _______, however. Her seeing all of it made his cheeks flush pink at his spectacular failure. Even so, there was still work to be done. The moogle _had_ to be stopped.

“Hnh…” he wheezed. “Not yet…”

_______ rushed forward to help him up. He stuck a hand out to stop her, though his heart lifted at her concern.

“Don’t. It is not over yet!”

He forced himself to his feet. Every inch of skin they had struck burned and stung but he ignored it. Then, he sent a blue wave of magic through the ground and straight to Mog. There was a flash of light…

“Kupo?!”

...When they could see again, Mog was contained inside a dark red, transparent ball. A humming noise came from it. Everyone watched as Vayne sent the ball to float up. It kept going until he summoned a Torsion so the moogle could show him the way. The ball hit the Torsion and the effect was immediate. The dark red energy swirled around it rapidly. At the center was a sparkly, purple void. Several gasps met Vayne’s ears.

“Mog is…” the Warrior of Light said, “driving the Torsion… out of control…?!”

_______ whimpered and Vayne’s heart ached. He continued watching the ball influence the Torsion. Its destination should’ve been set.

“...I see,” he voiced. “So that is where it is.”

He looked to _______.

“You said you wished to join me?”

She perked up and nodded.

“Come. We mustn’t waste time.”

He took her hand, calming his heart as it tried to sing with happiness at the contact. He didn’t have time for such nonsense. Ivalice was danger from whatever was inside the moogle. Still gripping her hand, Vayne used this world’s powers to his advantage and flew up to the Torsion with ______ in tow.

Right as they reached the inside, Vayne quickly dodged to the left. Something of gargantuan size was trying to leave the Torsion. It was white with six wings and a face no one could comprehend. They landed on a floor made of starlight. 

“Is that an archangel?!” ______ asked loudly.

“Hush,” Vayne told her. “Follow me.”

Ahead was a large mass of stone. They stepped onto it and began a fast walk to the end. Vayne was focused on getting the moogle to one of the points of no return inside the Labyrinth. If he could trap it there, Ivalice would be safe. At least, until he found a way to destroy it.

He noticed _______ started to lag behind, her head turning to gaze at the cosmos around them. There would be plenty of time for that later.

“We mustn’t waste time,” he said firmly. “Hurry.”

Vayne followed the moogle in its sphere. ______ hurried after him, looking around his shoulder at it.

“What is that thing?” she asked.

“I’ve no idea,” he answered. “What I do know is that we musn’t let its influence spread.”

“Right.”

Silence reigned over the first of the small rocky islands. Vayne’s thoughts were abuzz with what-ifs and all manner of questions he wasn’t sure would ever get answered. What was the moogle really? What was it hiding? Why did Spiritus summon him again when he knew Vayne would be more than peeved at the notion? Why summon so many people who longed for destruction of their _own worlds?_ Would that not make for a terrible choice in _protecting_ Spiritus’ own?

...Would he be allowed to return home in one piece?

_______ fumbled over her own feet. He glanced back to see her touch her head like she had a headache. Was something wrong? Was she feeling well?

 _...Is the moogle feeding off her magic? That must be it…! It_ **_must_ ** _be stopped…!_

“So…” ______ said then, trying to fill the silence. “Why’d you bring me with you?”

What a silly question. “You asked me to, did you not?”

“Well, yeah, but… I’ll admit I didn’t think you would…”

He glanced at her. How could she think he wouldn’t? After everything they had shared in the last cycle? He had decided to keep her for the time being. Again, it may be selfish, but he didn’t care. Ivalice had been unrewarding towards his efforts, so many times had his good deeds gone ignored. Was he not allowed _something_ for himself?!

“My reasoning is my own,” he said simply.

“Oh, sorry… I didn’t mean to pry…”

A sigh left him. He should not be treating her like an _object._ Like a _prize_ that was to be won. He couldn’t believe his own thoughts. And yet… She was so sweet, so thoughtful. So… timid. He _loved_ the shy nature she possessed. It was adorable. The doe eyed looks she gave him sent his head reeling. Or they _would_ whenever she did so again…

 _When was the last time I spent meaningful,_ **_private_ ** _time with a woman? Months? Years? Stars, it’s been too long._

He looked back to her. Would she start conversation again or would his thoughts solely be trained on her and the moogle?

She was inspecting the castle piece he had given her. Her expression was one of bewilderment. ...She _didn’t_ know where it had come from, then. How heartbreaking. He chest actually _hurt_ at the thought. Another wave of embarrassment washed over him as she caught him staring. He looked away.

_I suppose there is no use in dwelling upon it now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I’ve gotten Writer’s Block for this one again >_> Not to worry, I am pushing past it!
> 
> Have a great day/night/morning/evening!


	10. Nothing Is As It Seems. Not Even Her...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is wrong, both with the moogle... ...and with _______.

“Um, can I ask you something?” she asked hesitantly. He glanced her way again. Anxiety flared in her eyes, though he wasn’t sure why. She had no reason to be apprehensive of him.

“What is it?” he asked, looking back to the moogle. They were nearing the end of the Rift. One more island to go…

“I know certain people here have met before… Have you ever met Noctis?”

That was a question he pondered answering truthfully. “...Your brother, yes?”

“Yeah.”

He said nothing. If he told her he had, then that would raise more questions. They didn’t have  _ time _ for a full debate on how Spiritus’ world worked. But if he told her he didn’t, she could become even more dejected and quiet. That was another thing he didn’t have time to deal with. As fond of her as he was, he  _ did _ have priorities. The moogle was the most important out of all of them. He could not afford any more distractions.

She remained silent as well, walking next to him quietly. They briskly made their way through the Rift’s penultimate island. Vayne could still feel the stings and aches from the battle. Try as he might, there was no conceivable way he could have come out of it unscathed. His skin burned, chafed against his armor and the shirt beneath it. Though it was light armor, it still weighed a considerable amount and bumped and rubbed against all the wrong places, causing him to suppress several winces. There was no time for stopping. There was no time for  _ anything. _

As the exhaustion from exerting himself began to catch up to him, ________ hurried to keep up. He could feel her worried gaze burning into his skull. He gritted his teeth as a particular step made the pain flare up again. Then a hand rested on his arm. His head twitched to see ________ looking extremely concerned for his well being. A light blue surrounded her hand. His heart leapt in his chest.

“No, _______, don’t-!”

And then all the pain was gone. He halted abruptly when a loud cry ripped from her throat.

“_______?”

She collapsed to the floor, her breath quickening to unhealthy levels. Vayne stared as she spiraled into hyperventilation, gasping for breath and unable to find it. What was he supposed to  _ do? _ This was not something he could solve using his own upbringing. Conflict would only make this situation  _ worse. _

_ “Stop,” _ she managed to croak between breaths. Her hands were scrambling to find something to ground herself with. “Make it  _ stop!” _

She began to shake her head almost violently. Vayne found himself lowering himself down to her level.

_ “Make it STOP!” _

Vayne had never been more confused. He had never been trained for this.

_ “They’re going to- no- Make it- NO.” _

A  _ heart wrenching _ sob shrieked its way into the air, tugging at his heartstrings. How did he calm her down?!

_ “PLEASE!” _

“_______…” He wracked his brain for  _ anything _ in his life that he could use to fix this. Dammit, there wasn’t  _ time _ for this! The moogle was close to  _ bursting _ from its cage. He  _ needed _ to reach the end of the Rift!

_ You could always leave her here. _

_ I swore to protect her. _

_ Then leave her here, take care of the moogle, and return. She’s a grown woman. She can take care of herself. _

He made to stand. It hurt him to think about, but saving Ivalice was more important than a fleeting panic attack.

But then she started shouting at him.

_ “Vayne, please.” _ The palms of her hands covered her eyes. Did she even know what she was saying?  _ “It  _ **_hurts._ ** _ They’re going to- Please!” _

With a labored sigh, he settled back on one knee. “Please  _ what?” _

_ “ _ **_Please_ ** _ take me with you. Please. Please. They’re going to kill me.” _

She took one large breath.

_ “THEY’RE GOING TO KILL ME.” _

_ “Who _ is going to kill you?”

“Fate… That’s all… All I am… My fate…”

She slowly dissolved into a metaphorical puddle of tears. Her breathing was still labored and rapid and it picked up again. Vayne was suddenly reminded of the times Larsa would have nightmares and come running to him. There. He knew what to do.

“Shh, shh, shh,” he hushed, reaching out to take her arms in his hands. “Take a deep breath. You need to calm down.”

Her breathing faltered but then continued to gasp relentless for breath.

“I ca- I can’t-!” she tried to say. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Breathe, ______. Do it with me, now. In…”

She gulped in a deep breath and attempted to hold it. It didn’t last long.

“I didn’t mean to,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

_ Sorry? Sorry for what? Slowing us down? _

“Again,” he said firmly. “In.”

She took another deep breath. This one held longer.

“Out….”

She released it all. He repeated the command, and she inhaled… and exhaled… And again… A moment passed. She was trying to rock back and forth to comfort herself. As her breathing reached an acceptable level, the tears came bursting forth in torrents. Oh, dear, now to deal with  _ this… _

“Come now, there’s nothing to cry about,” he muttered gently. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

...Well, it wasn’t a lie. She  _ hadn’t _ done anything wrong. Frustrated as he was that their objective had slowed, he couldn’t help but replay her panicked words in his mind. Someone was going to  _ kill _ her. And she wanted  _ him _ to save her, to take her with him. Did she regret not joining him the last time?

_ She’s fine now. You must hurry! _

“What happened…?” she asked, now wiping the tears from her eyes and glasses. “I’ve never…”

She hiccuped.

“Had a panic attack after healing…”

Strange… What was different now as opposed to before-?  _ Oh. _

“I suspect that moogle has something to do with this…” he suggested thoughtfully. “Are you feeling alright? Can you continue?”

Had he really just  _ asked _ that? His mind warred with his heart. He  _ knew _ there were more important things at hand, but… There was something going on in her mind that wasn’t right and it  _ wasn’t _ the moogle. He was determined to figure out  _ what.  _ ...If only for her sake…

She looked down. “I think so… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to- to slow us down…”

_ Well, it happened nevertheless. _

Yet he still had questions as he tried to distract his heart from aching at her current situation. Another wall constructed itself around it. She would  _ not _ get through this one.

“...You were shouting,” he said.

She blinked and sniffed. “...What?”

“At me. You were shouting at me to save you.”

She blinked at him again.

“Why?” she asked, confusion lacing her voice. She pulled her coat further around herself.

“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Vayne said, just as perplexed as she. “Something about… death, and fate…”

She furrowed her eyebrows.

“I have no idea why,” she said. He helped her to her feet. “But… Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

He scoffed. “Nonsense.”

“What?”

“If I hadn’t, we’d be here for much longer.”

Did she seriously not recall all the terrifying things she had been screaming? Did she not remember  _ pleading _ with him to make the pain stop?

He glanced from the moogle to her when suddenly a hearty laugh sprung forth from her lungs. Somehow, she tore down his newly constructed wall and her laughter rang into his soul and caused his heart to twist lightly with an odd sensation. Her giggles had him even more bewildered. Was it something he’d said? 

“Are you done…?” he asked impatiently. He was very close to leaving her there if she continued to confuse his emotions.

“Sorry, sorry,” she said. “You’re just… You’re so cute.”

Wait,  _ what?! _

Her hand clamped over her mouth, eyes widening. _Never_ had anyone called _Vayne Solidor_ ** _cute._** He did not like it. He was elegant and sophisticated, a man of _regality._ _Cute_ would never suffice to describe him. A very frustrated sigh left him. 

“Yes, well, if you’re fine, let us keep going,” he said shortly, turning to the moogle’s sphere.

“Right, sorry,” she said sheepishly. Then the moogle’s entrapment began to shake violently. It vibrated pulses of darkness, sent off waves of an unknown will. Vayne could  _ feel _ it in the air around him. They had wasted too much time.

“Damn,” he muttered frustratedly. “Quickly, now.”

He took off down the path, now not caring whether or not she followed. She seemed well enough. How she had bounced back so quickly, he didn’t know. He wasn’t going to wait around and find out.

“Wait, why were we hurrying before?” _______ asked, struggling to keep up behind him. He could hear her footsteps stumbling over small stones. His own kept their balance now that he had been healed.

_...I suppose I should thank her for that. _

“There are others who would use this to their own wills,” Vayne explained. “For personal gain. They’d see this world overtaken by whatever it is this moogle hosts.”

“Hosts?” she echoed. “So… It’s bigger than a cat, at least. Good to know.”

He laughed slightly.  _ “Much _ bigger.”

A small whimper left her at the thought. He led her through the Rift and to its end. They came to a stone entrance of crumbling ruins. The arch of the gate was square and led downwards. The path turned at the bottom of the stairs. Vayne went for a corner and _______ followed right on his heels. As soon as they reached it, the sphere burst.

_ So much for hurrying… It appears we’ve reached a dead end. _

“Kupo…?” Mog said groggily. “What happened, kupo? ...Kupo!”

He noticed Vayne.

“What’d you do that for, kupo?!”

_ “Enough,” _ Vayne said strongly. “Tell us what it is you want with this world.”

“Kupo… I don’t know what you mean, kupo!”

_ Oh, please, don’t play innocent. _

“Your energy,” ______ said quietly. “It’s… messed up, to put it mildly.”

“You’re  _ feeding _ off of her,” Vayne seethed. Rage welled up in his chest and yet, he kept himself still, kept himself calm. Losing his temper would not help here. “Off of the raging battle in her soul.”

“I don’t- I don’t know- You mean the light and dark, kupo?” Mog asked, shivering with fear.

_ “Yes. _ Now tell me. What is your objective? What aim do you have that would include feeding off the energy of an innocent woman?”

“I… I don’t know, kupo!”

“Wait,” ______ said, stepping in front of Vayne. What on earth was she-? “Be gentle. Some people don’t do well under pressure. You’re not giving him room to think.”

“Room to-?” Vayne cut himself off. “That is the  _ point.” _

_ ‘Be gentle.’ Of all the-! _

“Mog,” she said gently. “Just tell us what’s going on, and we can help you.”

“_______, this is-” She held up a finger to stop Vayne from interfering. He huffed frustratedly. This was the  _ opposite _ of what they needed to be doing!

“I don’t know, kupo.” Mog continued to shake fearfully. “All this… this energy is making me hungry, kupo. But I swear I was doing as the goddess said!”

“We know,” ______ said softly. Vayne’s eyebrows furrowed in  _ complete _ bewilderment. Was this seriously  _ working?  _ “But you might have a parasite latched onto you. Can you feel for it?”

Mog looked down and paused. Vayne brought a hand to his forehead.

“This is a waste of time,” he said. ______ shushed him.

“It’s  _ dark,” _ Mog moaned pitifully. “So many things…writhing around, kupo. It… It  _ hurts, _ kupo!”

Dark energy suddenly burst forth from the moogle. Vayne let instinct take over and forced _______ behind him. A black liquid started to bubble up from inside Mog. It dripped down his small, white body and pooled on the ground. Vayne’s blood ran cold and ________ gasped.

“He’s a daemon,” she whispered, horrified. He could feel her shaking.

“No,” he said quietly. “This is much,  _ much _ worse.”

“So,” a calm yet  _ familiar  _ voice said behind them. They turned to see the Emperor hovering there. Ultimecia stood with him, as well as Garland. “You brought the moogle, as planned.”

“I have acted on my own accord,” Vayne spat back. Mog continued to deteriorate into a pile of sludge, black energy pulsing from it incessantly. “It means to use this world as a feeding ground. I cannot let that continue lest my own world fall prey to its grasp.”

“Come now,” Ultimecia said. “Why not let the beast loose? Let its darkness and hatred consume the world.”

“The chaos it wreaks shall be most divine,” Garland said.

“How can you  _ stand there _ and just watch it happen?” Vayne said strongly, appalled by their lack of concern. “Do your own worlds not have meaning to you? Are they not in peril if we let this thing continue its feast?”

“Let all return to the void,” said a voice from an opening Torsion. The Cloud of Darkness emerged from it.

“Let it burn,” Garland said. “The carnage will be sweet. Its destruction, satisfying.”

_ This is unbelievable…! _

_______ stepped back, frightened of all the powerful beings in the room. Vayne kept a close eye on her.

“Let it turn the world inside out,” said another newcomer. Exdeath came out of a new Torsion. “The Void will consume all!”

“The Void…?” _______ whispered in horror. She looked up at Vayne. “What do we do?”

They were the only things standing in the way of these villains and Mog, who continued to invert and pulse. There was no time to come up with a plan to divert their attention, no time to figure out what to do. Hadn’t the Emperor said  _ Spiritus _ told them to find the moogle? Then why use it to  _ destroy? _ Was that a  _ lie? _

“Give us the moogle,” the Emperor said. “And I’ll spare your lives.”

“Did Spiritus not summon us all together?” Vayne tried to reason, trying to buy himself a little time. His mind was racing frantically, trying to come up with  _ some _ way to keep them from getting the moogle but also protect Ivalice. “Why fight when we can rid our worlds of this menace?”

“The Blackened Will,” Ultimecia said, “is not the only thing that moogle hosts.”

They paused long enough for Mog to burst into a sphere of blackened light. Something at the center was pulsing and beating. It moved like a writhing tumor. Vayne took one look at it. There was only one thing he could think of. He looked at _______. Finally, he looked at Spiritus’ other warriors. A Torsion opened behind him. With a swift movement, Vayne shoved Mog into the Torsion, closed it, and opened another. He grabbed _______’s hand and pulled her through before the others could follow them.

“You hide it now,” Exdeath said, “but I will find it posthaste!”

The Torsion closed.

“You should rest.”

“I told you, I’m perfectly fine.”

“I can take away your wounds but not your exhaustion. Sit down, at least. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”

“If I had known you’d be this  _ insufferable, _ I’d have left you with Materia’s warriors.”

“How is getting you to rest being insufferable? Last I checked,  _ I _ was the healer.”

“I am aware, but I am telling you: I am perfectly capable of continuing on.”

“And what exactly are we going to do?  _ Fight _ whatever was infesting Mog? On our own? Against those other villains?”

“If I had  _ time, _ I could’ve come up with  _ something.” _

“Right. Well, until you do,  _ sit the fuck down.” _

“Insufferable…”

Insufferable or not, Vayne still sat down. His Torsion had brought them to a large castle overlooking the sea. It was gorgeous with a red and gold interior trimmed with white and green. Vayne was reminded of the palace in Archades. He ignored the pang of homesickness in his heart.

The room they now resided in was a small parlor. The lights were on when they’d arrived. _______ managed to convince Vayne to “explore” but by that she meant “go in this room and sit down.”

He was very stubborn. But so was she.

She plopped down next to him. Now that they had  _ time, _ it passed by slowly and in silence. Vayne stared off into the short distance, pondering his next move. Occasionally he’d glance over at _______ and catch her watching him.

_...If only I could figure out  _ **_why._ ** _ Is it attraction? Does she remember me? Is it purely curiosity? _

Why hadn’t Spiritus had the mind to speak to Vayne himself before setting him loose? A  _ load _ of problems could have been solved by a simple conversation. Though… From what he had gathered, the gods themselves knew about as little as everyone else.

His hand curled into a fist before relaxing. He rested his head in the other, propped up on the arm of the sofa. It bothered him immensely, knowing so little. What was he to do? Trying to work with Spiritus’ warriors was like talking to a brick wall. Working with Materia’s had gone south rather quickly, though he’d expected it to. On his own, there was only so much he could do. Searching for the right information would take a while, but it was possible. He supposed he’d have to resort to that for now. Maybe could tail Materia’s warriors now and then to see if they’d learned anything new. Yes, that was a reasonable approach…

There was also the problem of taking _______ with him. She was nice enough, sweet. But she was  _ too _ sweet. Too  _ soft.  _ His priorities changed with her in his party. He needed to keep her  _ safe. _ He didn’t know  _ why, _ but he did. She was much too kind and innocent to be forced into such a world. He couldn’t let anything tarnish her. The strong urge to  _ protect her _ came over him whenever she was near. But  _ why? _ Was he fond of her? Did he actually  _ like her? _

_ Well, yes, I believe it to be obvious by now. But to actually keep her with me is another idea entirely. _

_ And yet I did so anyway… Quite selfishly, I might add. Surely she’d be better off with her new friends? There is safety in numbers. She’d be better protected with more eyes to look after her. _

But then there was the panic attack she’d had. Looking back on it, it was extremely concerning how specific her words had been. She’d directed them  _ at him. _ Should she have been with Materia’s bunch, would they have known what to do? Without someone familiar, who knew how to handle her, it could have spiraled further.

_ Who is trying to kill her? And  _ **_why?_ **

Spiritus had granted Vayne a wealth of information and not just about himself and Ivalice. He’d learned of the other worlds this one was connected to. Eos was, of course, one of them. A land ruled by a  _ crystal, _ where their kings were given divine right and the people never protested against it. They hadn’t been given a say in the matter. How did Noctis deal with it? To go his whole life dictated by a mystic  _ rock? _

He could worry about that later. Although… part of him wondered if that rock had something to do with _______’s meltdown.

The matter at hand was most important and he brought his thoughts back to that. But… there wasn’t much  _ to _ think about when he didn’t  _ know anything. _

“The lack of information,” Vayne confessed quietly, “is what bothers me most. How can we solve this without truly knowing what it is we’re up against?”

“You and me both,” _______ muttered. “These… memories I’m missing…”

Yet another problem to address.

“A frustrating point,” Vayne said. Silence reigned again. _______ slipped her coat off and curled up against one end of the sofa, resting her head on one of its pillows. She then draped the coat over herself like a blanket. Vayne sighed. He propped his feet up on the coffee table. If she was getting comfortable, there was little reason for him  _ not _ to.

“I wish Noctis was here,” she whispered.

“I’m sure you do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these are, like, a month apart. I have so many Vayne/Reader stories in my Google Docs that sometimes I neglect this one :/// Don’t worry, though, I’m not giving up on it! :D


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